


Breaking Point in Blue

by ObjectiveMistress



Series: The Rhapsody in Red Universe [3]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Detective Noir, F/F, F/M, Gen, Noir AU, Police
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-03-05 04:19:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 51,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3105458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObjectiveMistress/pseuds/ObjectiveMistress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to Rhapsody in Red and Mystery on the Republic City Express] Noir AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. That Old Feeling

[FF.net] [AO3] [[Chapter Master Post](objectivemistress.tumblr.com/bpibmasterpost)] [[Soundtrack](https://play.spotify.com/user/objectivemistress/playlist/5hernooaYElCXpk77rYyyS)]

 **Rating:** M (Violence and Smut)

 **Chapter Word Count:** ~3500

 **Summary:** Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to [ _Rhapsody in Red_](http://objectivemistress.tumblr.com/post/91401925093/rhapsody-in-red-masterpost) and [ _Mystery on the Republic City Express_](http://objectivemistress.tumblr.com/post/104280144479/mystery-on-the-republic-city-express)] Noir AU

 **Author Note:**  I am very excited to present this final full installment in the  _Rhapsody in Red_ universe. It is possible to read this fic as a stand-alone, but I highly suggest you read both [ _Rhapsody in Red_](http://objectivemistress.tumblr.com/post/91401925093/rhapsody-in-red-masterpost) and [ _Mystery on the Republic City Express_](http://objectivemistress.tumblr.com/post/104280144479/mystery-on-the-republic-city-express).

.

**Chapter 1 – "That Old Feeling"**

" _I saw you last night and got that old feeling_  
 _When you came in sight, I got that old feeling_  
 _The moment that you danced by I felt a thrill_  
 _And when you caught my eye my heart stood still"_

.

Korra adjusted the lit cigarette that dangled loosely between her slightly parted lips. She inhaled, the sweet relief of smoke slithered in wispy tendrils out of her mouth and into the already heavy air of the downtown coffee shop. A comfortable rumble of conversation set the baseline of noise in the establishment as Korra's eyes skimmed over the paper. The place was richer than she would have picked; dark wood formed bookcases with ornate carvings from ceiling to floor.

The dim atmosphere was doing nothing to help her wake. Despite the coffee mug steaming beside her, she still was not able to shake the grogginess that was draped over her like a fog. The mornings were evil, after all. Korra ran a hand through her now short hair. Just earlier in the month, she realized that she hadn't changed her hairstyle since her toddler days. Her brown hair now fell just below the chin in an angled bob.

Only a few of the headlines caught her eye, but the large picture of Varrick shaking hands with Mayor Raiko stood out boldly. The title of the piece read, "RAIKO AWARDS CONTRACT FOR NEW GRAND CENTRAL STATION."

Korra flicked the paper in half so she could peer over it, "I thought that was supposed to be your contract?"

Asami took a long drag of her slim cigarette. "Future Industries seemed like a lock for it, but you know very well that my father isn't favored under Raiko."

Her hands had an elegant grace to them that she was convinced existed in no one else but her. Her red lipstick stood out against her pale skin bared to the world by the low neckline of her burgundy dress. Even in the low light, Asami's hair shined in gentle, curly waves.

"Didn't Varrick try to have Raiko run out of town by seducing his wife during the election?"

The businesswoman rolled her eyes, "Well all sins are forgiven if you can write a fat check like Varrick can. Didn't even matter that he supported Tarrlok's failed run."

Raiko was elected nearly two years ago, and Varrick had bankrolled him ever since. It had been a long term already for the new mayor, but truly nothing had changed. The city was still just as bleak for the vast majority of its citizens. Vice Department work was unaffected as Raiko refused to cut police department spending because of stigma. Then again, no one in elected office cared about law enforcement until someone high profile got killed or robbed.

Korra dabbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and took a sip of her coffee before placing a fresh one between her lips. "Can you light me?"

Asami smirked and leaned in close enough that the detective caught a whiff of her floral perfume that left her feeling slightly heady. In the wake of her nasty break-up three years ago, Asami had been a source of comfort in more ways than one. Turns out that as fun as Asami was in bed, they were incompatible in almost every other way. But being friends, drinking partners, wing-women, (depending what activity was at hand), just seemed to work; keeping things as uncomplicated as possible kept them both happy.

"You'd think a chain smoker like you would carry a lighter," Asami flicked her lighter ablaze and held it carefully to the end of Korra's cigarette. "Let me buy you a nice one. Something steel with your name engraved on it…maybe the police department logo."

"Nah," Korra took a puff and waved her off. "By the way, how's Hiroshi doing?"

Asami grimaced. Korra knew it was a soft spot, but the Varrick and Raiko headline had her curious and she decided to go out on a limb and ask.

"He's fine," she snapped, crossing her arms and wearing an expression that could burn a lesser person. "You don't need to ask in such a… _biting_  way."

Hiroshi Sato was released from jail a year ago or so for good behavior. Korra, as the investigating Vice Detective, hoped his sorry ass would be in prison for a lot longer than it was, considering how big of a drug operation he was running. But she needed to let it go; most of the crooks she busted didn't stay in for long unless they had a violent charge thrown in there. Out of jail, Hiroshi took back control of Future Industries, much to Asami's displeasure. The woman enjoyed full control over her own company and of course, she wasn't perfect at the helm, but at least she wasn't distributing drugs.

"Does that mean you're still doing your," Korra made a nebulous circular gesture with her hand, cigarette dangling between two fingers, "thing?"

"If you mean the chemical applications division," Asami rolled her eyes, "then yes."

"I always thought you were more on the mechanical side of things."

"Things change."

Things did change, and so did people. Then again, change didn't always for the better. Korra wasn't sure that the last three years had brought her a whole lot of good. She was still a Vice Detective twice passed over for leadership in the department. Chief Beifong always threw her a line about being "more valuable in the field" or some other slaps in the face meant to keep her from getting angry. Korra was beginning to wonder how many more times she would stand still as the people around her moved up and on.

Asami took a sip of her coffee, "Did you hear about the coroner situation?"

"Oh yeah," she laughed. "What a fucking mess."

People like Zhou, who were instrumental in the closing of the Red Killer case, were removed in the political regime change as Raiko brought in his own people into appointed positions in return for their help. It was a complete racket; an incompetent supporter of Mayor Raiko occupied every single office like that.

The current coroner was recently removed after an embarrassing incident to say the least. The guy showed up at the scene of an extinguished building fire, still drunk from his outings the night before. Korra wasn't surprised; the coroner barely did anything. The office was a sham, run by someone who barely knew a liver from a pancreas. But the city reacted more harshly that she could have expected, with almost every major paper calling for the man's swift resignation and an improvement of the coroner office.

"Any clue who Raiko might appoint?" Asami asked.

Korra shook her head, "My ear hasn't been that close to the ground, but whoever it is, it'll be announced soon."

Silence settled over the two, and Korra's mind wandered. In many ways Asami was a link for her. She was a bridge over a violent river that connected her to a world outside of her work. Nowadays, her detective job consumed her. It was difficult to draw a line to separate Detective Korra and Korra in her mind. But at the moment, she supposed it was okay for the two to be one in the same.

Things had been like this…well since Mako broke up with her nearly three years ago. They still worked out of the central Republic City Police Department Station, so it was impossible to avoid him. Yet they kept their interactions to accidently meeting gazes from across a room that never lasted for more than a second or two. In three years she had barely spoken a full sentence or two to him, only using a broken phrase if she was required to interact with him.

After the way things ended, Korra figured it was best to have it this way.

"Have you…" Korra steps out on a limb again, "…heard from Mako lately?"

"Not really," Asami sighed.

Things were complicated between those two also. Asami never directly mentioned it (when she was sober anyway), but Korra knew they spent time together. She didn't need to be a keen detective to see that. She knew sometimes they got drinks or fell into bed because neither of them could hold down a relationship that had any semblance of stability. But once Asami realized that the normality that she sought with Mako was impossible, the two returned to a more typically friendly basis.

"Have you? You work in the same building."

The detective shrugged.

"I really thought you would have made up by now," Asami casually pulled her slim cigarette from her lips. "It's been three years."

"There's no way we're making up," Korra gritted her teeth.

Just thinking about the break-up raised a tidal wave of mixed emotions in her. Even three years later, she was embarrassed to say that she was still so deeply affected. Usually when it came to these sorts of relationship difficulties it was easy to her to pack her emotional baggage away and move on. It felt as if there was something stopping her, as if she had come up against a wall in the dark and was still waiting for morning to illuminate her way over or around.

"We broke up," she sipped at the cold coffee dregs at the bottom of her mug. "That's it."

"I've told you I'm here if you ever need to talk."

"And I don't want to talk about it," Korra snapped.

Asami was great, she really was. But whenever it came to her spilling her guts to the woman, it was never an ideal situation. As silver-tongued as Asami was in her boardroom or at the club, the instant Korra looked for personal assurance she always seemed to say the wrong thing. For a woman that was so talented in other areas, Korra was more than willing to realize that maybe those sorts of conversations were not Asami's forte.

Without Mako, she was largely without a confidant or someone to even vent to. Nights when the world weighed down on her and she only had a half-empty bottle of whiskey to talk to were the only times she ever felt truly alone. But Korra didn't like the idea of having to depend on someone else for such a large portion of her emotional welfare; perhaps she just needed more time to figure out exactly how to live.

Korra dropped the folded newspaper on the table next to the soft leather chair she sat in, not intending to read any further. "Thanks for the coffee, Asami. Really, I mean it," she smiled slightly. "I've got to get going, I'm already late."

"Don't be a stranger," Asami didn't move as Korra swung on her heavy gray trench coat and black leather gloves.

Korra popped her collar and placed her fedora on, ready for the early chill. "I try."

.

.

When Korra waltzed in the station was already bustling for the day. She flashed her badge as she passed the reception desk, earning a nod from the guard. Uniformed officers rushed every which way through the organized chaos that was the Republic City Police Central Station.

For a Friday, it was busier than she expected. Honestly, if she hadn't been almost finished with the paperwork on the Red Monsoons case she recently closed she would have taken the day off. The gang had thought it a clever idea to smuggle in cocaine to the city in porcelain dolls, which they would smash for their contents before distributing throughout the city. Still, this was not enough to stump Korra or throw her off their trail. The case resulted in the arrest of three Red Monsoons; not enough, but it was a start.

The Vice Department was on the fourth floor of the station. Korra quickly ascended the main staircase. A few people patted her on the back in recognition of her case bust. Although Chief Beifong and Vice Chief Saikhan didn't think she was cut out for the formal leadership structure in part because of her "lack of predictability," many still saw her as a leader. She was often sent new cops to take under her wing or mentor while they got their bearings. Formal schooling really only got you so far to be a successful member of the Republic City PD.

Korra strode into the Vice Department floor bullpen, hat in hand. Desks covered the entire large room, almost each one occupied by a Vice Department officer. She dropped her coat and gloves on her desk before sliding into her chair. The pile of half-finished paperwork still covered her workspace in a messy pile. Unfortunately, offices were reserved for people above her pay grade.

This was always the worst part of a case: the cleanup. The pursuit was exhilarating, but the documentation that came afterwards always deflated any enthusiasm she had.

"Korra," a pale hand leaned on the corner of her desk.

"What do you need, Tahno?" Korra said dryly, swiveling her chair to look up at him.

"Kai called," Tahno flipped his hair back into place. "He said he was calling about 'flowers for his mother,' and that you would want to know right away."

"Well, I appreciate you letting me know and doing your job well for once."

"Thanks for being snide…as usual," Tahno drawled before stepping away.

"Flowers for his mother" was a code, and an obvious one to anyone like her that was involved. Kai, one of her underground informants, didn't have a mother. He was an orphan that fell on hard times (she knew especially from Mako that this was the unfortunate norm). One day in the park, she caught his hand in her jacket pocket, his fingers searching for her wallet. Korra believed in second chances, so she took Kai under her wing. Now he was helping her to bust the Triple Threat Triad's heroin black market at the docks. People would notice a cop, but would overlook someone who they perceived to be just another street urchin.

Korra sifted through her things; it would be crucial to make contact with Kai immediately to move forward on the case. Paperwork would be here when she got back on Monday.

"Detective Korra."

She spun casually in her chair until her eyes met those of Chief Lin Beifong. The woman didn't seem to age. Her hair was still silver, and her green eyes had a steely edge to them that could strike fear into even the most hardened criminals. Lin was forged into the strong leader she was by her long and illustrious career in Republic City, yet even with her efforts the city had so much farther to go.

"Morning, Chief," Korra gave her a polite nod.

"My office in five," Lin walked off.

"Shit," Korra mumbled under her breath.

She took her jacket off and draped it over her chair, revealing her light blue button-down and gray pants. Rolling up her sleeves, Korra made a half-hearted effort to straighten the papers on her desk.

What could she have possibly done wrong to warrant a conversation with Chief Beifong in her office? In the last three years, Korra had kept her nose out of trouble regarding the department. Did Lin find out that sometimes she illegally parked her car outside the station and burned her parking tickets if she got one? Fuck, what if this was the promotion she was waiting for? Or shit, what if she was going to get reamed out for not having her paperwork in yet?

Korra walked towards the stairwell and jogged up to the fifth floor. Chief Beifong's office was just around the corner. The hallway was lined with pictures and plaques for cops who had illustrious careers. Their names and faces were forever immortalized, their careers reduced to just a few lines of engraved text. She wasn't too sure what she thought of that. They were like park statues to her; no doubt the person whose likeness was preserved did deserve the monument, but the idea of how overtime such things became just another part of the scenery for people to overlook left a bad taste in her mouth.

She quickly shook this thought though and took a deep breath before rounding the corner into Chief Beifong's spacious corner office. Deputy Chief Saikhan stood next to Lin behind her desk, his baldhead reflecting some of the lighting of the room.

What surprised her, however, wasn't the presence of the two most powerful individuals in the Republic City Police Department. It was the man in the corner who stood stiffly, his lips pressed into a stern line. Korra would recognize the visage of Detective Mako, Deputy Director of the Homicide Department. His golden eyes stubbornly avoided hers as she tried to cover her shock in seeing him.

"What the fuck is going on?" Korra forgot to speak with the decorum that she reserved for formal occasions.

"Sit down," Lin rolled her eyes before taking her own seat and cuing Mako and Saikhan to do the same.

"Okay then," Korra took an audible breath in, "what did I do wrong this time?"

"You haven't," Saikhan frowned. "This is a serious matter and I'd appreciate if you'd act if it were."

"Well, you haven't told me a thing yet, so how am I supposed to know it's important other than looking around at who's in this room?"

"Cut it," Lin snapped, taking a side-glance at Mako, who sat too rigidly and upright in his chair. "What we are going to discuss in this room doesn't go beyond a need-to-know basis, am I clear?"

Korra nodded, suddenly intrigued by whatever information the three were sitting on.

Chief Beifong pulled a file out of her desk and placed it in front of Korra. "We have some growing concerns about suspicious deaths of three Raiko supporters, all of which were Liberalist Party members and were appointed to governmental offices."

The detective pulled the file into her lap.

"We think these cases are linked, as well as a few others with businessmen an other people in powerful positions," Lin continued. "All were killed by what may prove to be poison, but many of the cases are without a proper cause of death. We see a concerning pattern emerging, and we want it investigated before it gets out of hand." She placed another file in front of Korra, "These two men were mid-level executives with two of Varrick's subsidiary companies."

"Mayor Raiko will be announcing his new coroner today," Saikhan crossed his arms. "After what happened with the last one, we have been assured that the new person will have excellent qualifications. We're finally getting a proper medical examiner to help with cases."

"Which will be of great benefit outside of this case also," Lin interjected.

"So you see a pattern," Korra didn't see much of any connection besides the shoddy one that was  _probable_  cause of death. "So what? You know this isn't enough reason to look into this. Unfortunately people knock each other off with poison, it happens."

"Those people don't send a letter to Mayor Raiko's office in warning," Lin directed her to a location later in the file.

Korra's eyes ran over the short amount of text.

" _You may have not noticed the men who have left the ranks of your corrupt regime that extends past your government and around those whose pockets placed you in office, but I can assure you that you soon will. Step down, change is coming."_

The note was unsigned. The notion of "change is coming" rang oddly familiar.

Saikhan coughed into his sleeve before clearing his throat. "This needs to be taken care of as swiftly and quietly as possible."

"So, where do I come in then?" She looked up expectantly, not willing to assume incorrectly.

"Deputy Chief Saikhan and I agree that this case demands our best minds," Lin acknowledged her second-in-command with a nod. "As Mako is now the Deputy Director of the Homicide Department and well experienced, we chose him to lead the case."

Korra stole a glance at him, but his eyes were trained firmly on his bosses.

"…I said he could chose anyone to work with."

Her heart dropped into her stomach.

"He chose you."


	2. Something's Gotta Give

[[FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10944443/1/)] [[AO3](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3105458/chapters/6728366)] [[Chapter Master Post](objectivemistress.tumblr.com/bpibmasterpost)] [[Soundtrack](https://play.spotify.com/user/objectivemistress/playlist/5hernooaYElCXpk77rYyyS)]

 **Rating:** M (Violence and Smut)

 **Chapter Word Count:** ~3400

 **Summary:** Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to  _Rhapsody in Red_  and  _Mystery on the Republic City Express_ ] Noir AU

.

**Chapter 2 – "Something's Gotta Give"**

" _When an irresistible force such as you_

_Meets an old immovable object like me_

_You can bet just as sure as you live_

_Something's gotta give"_

.

"…I said he could choose anyone to work with."

Her heart dropped into her stomach.

"He chose you."

Korra's jaw dropped so fast it would have hit the floor had it not been attached to her skull. All the scenarios that had run through her head prior to entering the meeting were thrown out for something much more ridiculous. She and Mako hadn't had a voluntary interaction in years. Surely there was someone else he would rather work with on the case that would probably pave his way to the top of the Homicide Department.

"You've got to be kidding me," Korra exclaimed.

Chief Beifong's expression was stern, "Mayor Raiko is very interested in you taking on the case. After how you two handled the seemingly impossible Red Killer case, the establishment wants to know that this is in good hands."

"I-I've got a caseload though!" She tried to protest.

All she had to go off was her gut. There was something inside of her that said that this was a situation that she didn't want to be in. A coherent and thought-out reason hadn't materialized yet in her head; everything was just happening too fast.

"I will personally make sure that your ongoing investigations are in good hands," Saikhan spoke up. "Detective Tahno will step in and help to distribute the load. Nothing is going to fall through the cracks while you turn your attention to this more important matter."

Korra stole a glance in Mako's direction. His face didn't betray any thoughts or emotions he might have had. He seemed utterly unfazed behind an icy façade of professionalism. But she knew him better than he would have probably liked. She knew there was something swirling around in that head of his; she would just need time to unravel it. Figuring out Mako motivations would be no different than any case she had ever worked on.

So Mako chose her. That didn't mean that she had to choose him. She was being offered a choice.

"What if I say no?" Korra quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms before leaning back in her chair.

"Bad career move, kid," Saikhan shook his head.

"What? So I can get passed over for  _another_  promotion?" She rolled her eyes and pushed off the ground so her chair balanced on two legs.

Lin stood up quickly, "Listen here, Detective. Don't try to play apathetic with me because we both know it's not true. You'll work this case. And you'll solve it."

Korra swallowed hard. Despite how tough she considered herself, even rock broke under the crushing force of steel bearing down on it.

"Okay, okay!" She conceded, her hands up in a mock surrender. "I'll work the case."

The Chief of Police smiled, "Excellent. You'll be given access to the conference room on the second floor in the Homicide Department. I believe you're familiar with that location."

Of course she was. It was the room the two were allocated when they were partners on the Red Killer case.

"Remember that we have approved this partnership because we believe that you two are the best chance of success," Lin stepped back behind her desk, her composure regained. "You'll have all the resources that you need." She looked Korra right in the eye. "Don't do anything stupid."

Korra nodded and stood, the files for the case tucked under arm. She didn't even glance at Mako as she left the room. She could hear his footfalls a couple paces behind her as she headed down the hall and down two flights of stairs.

"I'm going to grab my things," she didn't wait for a reply before walking off into the heart of the Vice Department.

She gathered her coat over her arm and her hat in her hand before taking a deep breath. She was stubborn. There was some sort of perverse pride in being able to hold a nasty grudge for three years. Her hands were wrapped so tightly in residual anger around the problem her muscles felt stiff and vaguely "right" in that positioning. Her estrangement from Mako simply seemed normal, but if there was anything Korra knew it was that change was the only constant.

The trip downstairs to the conference room was quick. She walked in quickly, slamming the door behind her leaving the two alone.

For the first time she allowed herself to really look at Mako. His hair was different. Gone was the spiked look to be replaced by a more sleek and professional style. Briefly she wondered how much time he took in the mornings to slick his hair back with mousse because she remembered how long it took him to do even just his eyebrows when he was dating her. If anything the look aged him a few years along with the stress of his job; quite frankly this wasn't a bad thing in her eyes.

He didn't wear his scarf anymore. But she had noticed this change after passing him a year or two ago in the station. She remembered a time in which Mako wouldn't leave the apartment without the scrap of fabric wrapped tightly around his neck. Evidently, even the things that seemed so impossible to change surrendered to the tides that were time. Instead, he wore a blood red tie that stood out against his well-fitting and plain black suit.

What hadn't changed though, was that she found him attractive.

"So," Korra dropped down in one of the chair across the table from him, "you really know how to maneuver your career."

Mako stared at her stoically.

"Deputy Head of the Homicide Department scores the second huge case of his career," she goaded him. "Rats on his partner to the fucking mayor of the city to keep moving up."

"Are you done?" He looked unfazed.

Eventually one of them would have to give. One of them would cave; it was simply inevitable in her mind. For her, there was an odd pride in being the last one to hold out. It was like playing chicken in a building that was collapsing though; being the last one standing and playing the game to begin with assured mutual destruction.

Korra kept her face neutral. "Why did you pick me?"

He took a deep breath and placed his hands flat on the table. "Honestly?" He looked her right in the eye unflinchingly, "Because you're the best. There's no one in this force that has the keen eye, mind, and…" a small smile crept on to his face, "…brashness we need to crack this case."

"I'll take that as a compliment, City Boy."

The old nickname rolled off her tongue before it even registered. She winced and avoided his gaze. It was odd to think that she could fall into such routine and old "normal' behaviors with him so fast. Three years was supposed to be enough time to change old habits. By the silence that fell over them, she could tell that he found it equally awkward.

"I uh…okay what do you know about the case so far?" Korra opened one of the files.

"Of course, Detective."

She almost laughed, "You don't have to call me by my work title."

Mako inhaled and leaned back in his chair, obviously out of his comfort zone. "Mostly as of now businessmen and public officials, but no one very high up. We know they died of poison, but how and what poison isn't known. Most of the coroner reports are utter shit. That's what you get when someone with no medical training filling out forms on dead people."

The status quo for coroners was an incredibly low bar. Most of the time death certificates were filled out thoughtlessly. Sometimes they didn't even have a cause of death scribbled on.

"There are a few dead so far," he continued. "Airi Kumiko, the City Clerk, was found dead in her apartment. Kiku Chou, Assistant for the Public Advocate as well as Kapua Takehiko, the Director of the Department of City Planning and—"

"I see the others here," Korra's eyes scanned over the file. "Anyone else?"

"We can't be sure," Mako frowned. "The records are so bad there could be numerous others connected and we might never know."

"Well, isn't Mayor Raiko announcing the new coroner soon?"

"Yes…"

"Let's get our asses over there and get first on their schedule."

Mako looked like he wanted to protest but held his tongue.

"Look, we've got nothing else to go on. We're going to need more than detectives to solve this one."

He nodded, "See. This is why you're on this case."

Korra couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it than that. Even then, she wasn't sure if she wanted Mako's straight answer to be true.

.

.

The car ride over to City Hall began awkwardly silent. Korra looked out the window, a smoking cigarette dangling between her fingers that she had lit with his Satomobile lighter. With each silent inhale and exhale, a bit of anxiety and stress floated away with the smoke.

"Uh, how has your life been?"

That question had vexed her for the last few minutes. What had her life been since they last connected? It certainly wasn't bad by any means. Her smoking had increased; she burned through almost an entire pack a day and although it was like throwing money in the trash she couldn't bring herself to stop. There had been relationships, if you could call them that. They were mostly one-night stands and lovers that felt like they might be able to materialize into something special but never did.

"Nothing substantial or worth talking about," she answered tersely.

Mako took her non-answer as a call for confrontation, "Are you really still angry at me after three years?"

Korra had to think about this. She had been truly angry with him for the nature of their breakup for quite a while after it all occurred. But now as she searched herself, much of that had faded with time more than any sort of understanding. So yes, there were still some burning embers there, lingering and slowly cooling.

"What do you think?" Smoke wafted out from between her lips.

"I don't know!" Mako growled. She had gotten to him for sure. "That's why I'm asking!"

Mako pulled up to the curb and stopped the Satomobile a bit more forcefully than required, forcing her to lurch forward.

Another conversation interrupted that Korra dreaded to finish later. It was easier just to focus on their police work and fall into their familiar rhythm. In that situation it was possible to forget all the messy personal details that had pulled them apart. There was so much time she took for granted. Their vacation on the Republic City Express seemed like a distant dream.

Both detectives popped their jacket collars and secured their hat brims low as they jogged into City Hall. They hurried up the stairs and through the main entrance of the grand building decorated with columns. The press conference would likely be full; events such as these had the swarming reporters overflowing out of Raiko's public address room. So instead, she and Mako flashed their badges and slipped in the back, just to the side of the podium.

The event was already in progress. Mayor Raiko was just stepping up to the myriad of microphones under a wave of camera flashes. He looked polished as ever; his black hair speckled with gray was slicked back. His light, blue-gray eyes were secured behind his pair of round, smart-looking spectacles. He was a passive sort of man. He valued his outward, skin-deep neutrality as incredibly important. But such displays were easily seen through by those who paid more than an iota of attention to Republic City politics.

"Thank you, and good morning," Raiko adjusted his gray tie. "I have already made numerous official statements regarding the removal of the last City Coroner, so I will keep my remarks today focused on matters that improve our city."

Korra relaxed against the wall, her shoulder leaning against Mako's upper arm in the cramped quarters. There was a familiarity to the proximity that she enjoyed; she could write it off later as a necessity given the packed state of the room.

"After careful examination of the candidates, I have thought a long while about the selection of this coroner. It is time for this city to have a professional that this city deserves in order to bring greater security and prosperity to our communities."

She wanted to laugh. Raiko's hand on picking an actual medical professional was probably forced by public opinion. Without such harsh media scrutiny, the man probably would have been fine throwing another one of his clueless supporters in to the slot.

"That's why we have convened today after all. We need to ensure that our city flourishes for years to come and has the governmental stability to provide that."

He was already setting himself up for the reelection in just a year's time.

Raiko cleared his throat. "I am pleased to announce that Dr. Jinora will serve as the latest Republic City Coroner."

Jinora stepped up to the podium beside Mayor Raiko.

"Do you know anything about her?" Mako leaned down and whispered in her ear.

Korra knew her. She was the daughter of Councilman Tenzin. She had the opportunity to get to know the young lady when she first arrived in Republic City many years ago. Tenzin, an old friend of her father, had been willing to take her under his wing and give her a place to stay while she finalized her entry into the Republic City police force.

"Yeah," Korra turned to him. "She's Tenzin's daughter."

"I didn't know you had such political connections, detective," he smirked jokingly.

Korra rolled her eyes, "I have friends, not connections."

Connections were for people trying to move up the ladder. Connections turned people into objects based on their worth. This was something Korra wasn't willing to do.

Raiko put his arm around Jinora and forced a smile. "Dr. Jinora has a medical degree from Kyoshi University, with specializations in pathology and bacteriology. It is indubitable that Dr. Jinora has all the qualifications she needs to make herself successful in this position."

"It's just another political appointment," Mako griped. "Just another Councilman's kid put in a position of power."

"Not so fast," she shook her head. "Jinora is a smart woman. You'll see. Trust me on this one."

For a moment, he looked apprehensive. She could see the gears turning in his head, determining how to respond. He could still trust her; she had never done anything for him to think differently. Her real concern was how far she could trust him.

"Of course," he conceded.

Trust was a funny thing when it came to partners. The level of trust needed to be higher than with a significant other, in her opinion at least. A moment of hesitation was enough time for a trigger to be pulled and a bullet sent across the room into a target. A moment of hesitation was enough to light a fuse or throw a punch. In Korra's mind, having lives on the line for her actions required complete trust. Could she do that with Mako after all they had been through? The thought ate at her.

"I will allow Dr. Jinora to take a few questions," Raiko had shuffled aside allowing Jinora to stand.

Jinora stood tall at the podium. She looked every bit the part of a brilliant scientist. Her brown hair was pulled back in a messy, yet professional bun. Her brown eyes shone with a young brightness from behind her thick, horn rimmed glasses. Korra almost hated to see a woman like Jinora take this position with such good intentions. The system had the potential to jade and run-down people like Jinora at a frightening pace. Republic City needed people like her desperately, but Korra could only hope she would make it long enough to make the changes she had the abilities to.

One reporter stood, "Dr. Jinora, do you believe it is actually necessary to have a coroner with skills such as yourself."

"Well," she smiled, "I imagine it's rather difficult to solve murders when one doesn't know how the victim died."

Mako and Korra shared a smile at this answer.

Another reporter chimed in, "Do you have any plans for reform of the Office of the Coroner?"

"Yes, but I don't believe this is the time or place for me to go into it."

"That will be all," Raiko leaned over the microphones. "Any further inquiries can be sent to Dr. Jinora's office. The Office of the Coroner is officially being moved to Bay View Hospital."

As usual after a press conference, reporters continued to yell questions in some vain hope that they would be heard let alone answered. Korra stepped forward first, weaving and pushing through the crowd that engulfed Raiko and Jinora as photographers took an opportunity to snap a few shots.

The media had yet to catch on to the fact that there was a danger lurking and a huge story developing beneath their noses. After all, a death from poisoning in Republic City was barely a footnote in any of the numerous newspapers. Korra preferred it this way; the longer it took the reporters to catch on, the more breathing room they had to get far ahead in this case. Once the papers got onto it, people would demand answers and search for scapegoats and places to cast blame. In a case in which they were on unsteady ground, they couldn't afford such cutting questions.

Korra caught mumbles from reporters as she and Mako passed together. For a long while they were the poster cops for the entire police department and were the faces of law enforcement. The Red Killer case was so large that even today it was not so easily forgotten. She could only imagine the headlines that the tabloids could run with them merely in proximity.

Finally, the two reached Jinora. The doctor recognized Korra immediately and pulled her into a hug that the detective returned.

"It's been a while," Jinora pushed her glasses up.

"This is Detective Mako," Korra motioned to Mako.

"Pleasure to meet you at last," Jinora shook his hand.

"We're working on a case that needs your attention, could we talk in the hall?"

"Of course, of course."

Mako led the trio out, clearing the way from reporters. He turned right, putting them out of earshot of Raiko's mulling assistants and interns. This wasn't a matter for their ears.

"What's going on?" Jinora's eyes flitted between the two of them.

"We're working on a case," Korra sighed. "There seems to be a disturbing pattern of poisoning arising in the ranks of Republic City's rich and powerful."

"We're really going to need your help," Mako added. "Tracking a poisoner is harder than a shooter."

"I haven't quite settled in yet, but I can assure you that I'm going to start in on this at once." Jinora seemed determined. "Do you have files on it?"

"We'll make sure they get to your office," Mako assured her.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Jinora squeezed Korra's arm, "I need to get back to Bay View."

As Jinora walked off, Korra couldn't help but think they were too far behind on this case. Someone else was going to die before they even had a chance to stop it.


	3. Someone to Watch Over Me

[[FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10944443/2/)] [[AO3](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3105458/chapters/6822086)] [[Chapter Master Post](http://objectivemistress.tumblr.com/bpibmasterpost)] [[Soundtrack](https://play.spotify.com/user/objectivemistress/playlist/5hernooaYElCXpk77rYyyS)]

 **Rating:** M (Violence and Smut)

 **Chapter Word Count:** ~3800

 **Summary:** Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city’s rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo’s task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to [ _Rhapsody in Red_](http://objectivemistress.tumblr.com/post/91401925093/rhapsody-in-red-masterpost) and [ _Mystery on the Republic City Express_](http://objectivemistress.tumblr.com/post/104280144479/mystery-on-the-republic-city-express)] Noir AU

 **Author Note:** Track the [Breaking Point in Blue tag](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/breaking-point-in-blue) for chapter previews.

[[Chapter 1](http://objectivemistress.tumblr.com/post/107030120849/breaking-point-in-blue-chapter-1-that-old)] [[Chapter 2](http://objectivemistress.tumblr.com/post/107614889959/breaking-point-in-blue-chapter-2-somethings)]

.

**Chapter 3 – "Someone to Watch Over Me"**

" _There's a saying old, says that love is blind  
_ _Still we're often told, "seek and ye shall find  
_ _So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind_

_Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet_  
 _He's the big affair I cannot forget_  
 _Only man I ever think of with regret"_

.

As she and Mako walked back to the parked car, Korra couldn't help but to have her thoughts drift back to Jinora. As proud as she was of the young doctor, it was hard to imagine a scenario in which all of this ended well for her. People didn't keep their positions in Republic City by being nice. You either had to stab backs and step on faces when the opportunity was presented, or throw enough money at the problem through key bribes to keep others off your case. Korra could only wonder if Jinora had the wherewithal to survive it all. She hoped the young doctor would surprise her.

Korra lit a cigarette as soon as they slipped into the car. She inhaled deeply, enjoying a surely transient moment of peace. Things didn't stay calm long in her line of work.

"When did you get the new car?" She muttered, cigarette still dangling from her lips.

"It's not new," he turned the key in the ignition. "Don't you recognize it? It's Bolin's  _old_  car. He insisted on getting a new one after he won a few big matches and well…it was nicer than mine."

"No kidding."

Mako shot her a cold glare before turning on the one-way, AM police radio. The unit crackled to life, filling the car with the white noise of static. Korra listened idly as a few reports and incidents came in through.

Traffic was heavy on the way back the central station. If it were her driving, she would have pulled her red light out of the glove box and stuck it to the roof, siren blazing. Then again, that would have been her impatience burning through. She didn't consider this a bad facet of her personality, or at least she thought. It let her act first in situations that required immediate action instead of waiting for orders or direction. That inclination was what made her and Mako a good team the first time around through the fusion of that nature and his more "think and pick" mentality. Only a bit more time would tell if it worked this time around.

Slowly, the cigarette reduced itself to the filter. Korra quickly cranked the window down and tossed the still burning stress-reliever out on to the street.

"Reports of a 211S. Repeat, reports of a 211S."

A 211S was a silent robbery alarm. Most commonly these sorts of calls indicated a bank robbery or a heist on someone rich and powerful enough to have such a system installed.

Mako and Korra shared a glance.

"Municipal Bank on Fifth Avenue. All available officers please respond."

Mako cranked his window open and reached out, sticking the red light to the top of the car. He rolled the window up just enough so that the gap between the glass and Satomobile frame was open enough for the wire from the light to slip inside.

"We're only two blocks away," he flicked on the siren. "I'm guessing you're up for a bit of action?"

"You know me," she touched her side and verified the presence of her sidearm. "I always am."

Was it bad to think it was a welcome distraction from the heavy silence that seemed to blanket them whenever they were alone? If they were going to work together and actually solve this case, they needed to  _work_  again. Maybe not in the way that they did while dating, but at least with the give and take that they had while they were partners. This situation here could be a real test. Did she still have the capacity to trust him in a bind like this, despite what he had to erode her trust in other areas of their relationship?

Traffic parted in front of them at the urging of the siren. He turned them down a one-way side street as a bypass to the main street. When they popped out on the other end at 5th Avenue, the street was empty of traffic. Sirens blazed towards the bank that was just on the left and across the street. There were already two marked squad cars, sirens and lights blazing. The uniformed officers used their cars as cover, their pistols trained on doors.

The Municipal Bank was a favorite of businessmen who had a penchant for offshore accounts. The entrance was lined with columns, which accented the large, arched doorway. Korra had never been inside (her money was kept at a far more modest institution) but she imagined that the inside was equally opulent.

The two detectives burst out of the car as soon as Mako threw the vehicle into park.

Korra reached into her gray trench coat, pulled her pistol out, then checked to make sure her extra magazines were ready to be pulled out if needed.

"Is that new?" Mako pulled his revolver out of his shoulder holster. He still carried a .357 magnum revolver.

She nodded, "It's the new Varrick 1911. Pilot program for the department," she shrugged. "I figured you knew."

The gun was a piece of work. Shot a .45 caliber round more accurately and with less recoil than her previous piece. The magazines were a godsend for quick reloading in the heat of a firefight and it was sure to come in handy sometime. Korra was almost positive that Chief Beifong included her in the pilot program to keep her happy after the second promotion she was passed over for, but she didn't mind scoring a new sidearm as a consolation prize.

Korra had always been a crack shot ever since her father put a .22 rifle in her hands when she was seven. An avid hunter, he taught her to respect the power that firearms had. The idea that guns shouldn't be pointed at anything that one wasn't fully prepared to shoot was something that her father often reinforced. On the police force in Republic City, her marksmanship abilities came in handy more than her parents back home in the south would have liked. But shooting straight was just another skill in her arsenal that made her a strong detective; the first and foremost strength was that of her mind.

"Let's go around back," Korra motioned to the alley across the street. "The uniforms have the main exit blocked. Unless these crooks want to get into hours of hostage taking, they're going to be looking for another way out."

"Good idea," he followed her as they dashed across the street. "Why don't you take point?"

She nodded and flicked the safety off on her pistol. She grasped the weapon expertly in both hands, the barrel pointed safely to the ground. She kept close enough to the side of the alley that occasionally the rough brick wall brushed against her shoulder and scraped against her coat. Other than the sirens back on the main street, things were strangely calm and silent. The only thing her ears picked up were the light footfalls of her own steps and those of Mako's behind her.

Her breathing was slow and controlled despite the situation they might be walking into. Korra always performed her best in high-stress and high-stakes situations. Being jumpy would only cause mistakes; most rookie cops were perfect examples. There was a thin line between being impulsive and making quick, right decisions. Korra liked to think over the past three years she achieved the latter.

They rounded the corner further into the alley at the rear of the bank. The light over the back door of the bank stood out against the shadows that blanketed the area between the tall buildings. Korra could see a rolled up newspaper shoved in the door, leaving it ajar a scant few inches. It was so just barely propped open, any passerby not paying attention would have easily missed it.

"They must have known the door would lock if someone tripped the silent alarm," Mako held his revolver close to his face and pointed upward. "We should get some cover and wait for them to exit."

"There's no time for that," Korra peered through the small opening in the entrance. "If this is as well planned as it seems, this alley is plenty big enough to pull up a getaway car. Those crooks could be well armed. And if you don't mind, I really don't feel like having a dozen holes punched through me with a Tommy Gun today."

"That could happen inside just as easily!" He spoke through clenched teeth.

"I'd rather become Swiss cheese on my own terms," she growled, quickly growing frustrated. "Fine, stay out here and cover me."

"You know I can't do that."

"You just said you didn't want to go inside!"

"Well I'm not going to just let you go in alone!" His voice was a harsh whisper. "You need someone to watch over you."

Korra shot him a glare. "I don't."

"You should have someone to cover your back," his expression softened. "Now come on, this isn't the time to be having this discussion. Lead the way."

Just like that he was with her. Korra could only describe his expression as one of trust. After all this time, he was still willing to take her judgments on faith. She wasn't quite sure what to think about this. She had spent the last few years imagining as every link between them destroyed only to see he had a sort of unconditional trust he was certainly not supposed to have in her. Perhaps this is exactly what she wanted; maybe their working relationship was entirely salvageable.

"Let's go," she smiled.

Mako opened the door with a shrill squeak.

Korra moved in quickly, her pistol at eye-level and her finger poised over the trigger. She entered into a small coatroom. After a quick inspection she motioned Mako in with her head. He did as she asked and made sure to stuff the newspaper back in the door to keep it ajar. The last thing they needed was to be trapped in the bank with no means of escape.

The only door in the coatroom led into a dirty, white corridor. The linoleum on the floor was stained and muddied and needed care. It was clear this area was one that only an employee would access. A few empty carts littered one side of the narrow hallway while the lights above flickered ever so slightly. Korra moved slowly up the corridor. She had done this many times before; stay quiet, move forward, but let the bad guys come to you and get the jump on them. Although the first time she read  _The Art of War_  she found it boring, it was impossible to deny that the element of surprise, especially when one was probably out-gunned, was utterly invaluable.

By this time, Korra figured that the police out front had gathered enough forces to appraise the situation. If the robbers weren't holding hostages, the police would certainly be moving in through the front while they crept in from the back. No matter what, these crooks were going to be left without an avenue of escape. She grinned silently at this thought; there were very few things she liked more than dishing out justice.

She and Mako continued to move silently down the hall. There was a fluidity to their movement that she thought they would have lost. Korra didn't need to mention for him to cover her as she ducked in to clear a side room.

Around the next corner was an office area. The room was filled with identical desks and short filing cabinets. They were all rather industrial and highly functional; this wasn't exactly where the highly paid brokers were working. The whole back area here was stark and undecorated; not even any of the workspaces had personal items. The lighting was just good enough Korra could see, but poor enough she knew that reading documents in this dank room all day would strain her eyes until her vision blurred. The desks were all cleared off, all documents probably locked away in one of the main filing cabinets for the night.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps through the next unmarked door. She and Mako made eye contact quickly and ducked behind desks at the back of the room, far from the door. Korra held her breath and peered around the desk, her firearm at the ready. The footsteps seemed to fade away, so Korra slowly stood and moved towards the door with Mako close behind.

As soon as her hand touched the knob an audible alarm blared through the room. It was probably going off through the entire bank.

The two ran to the back of the room and took cover behind the desks again.

"What did you do?" Mako yelled over the ringing sound.

"I didn't do anything! I just went to open the door!"

He slapped his palm to his forehead in frustration. "Why do you always have to touch everything?"

"I thought you liked that about me!"

The door was kicked open so hard the smack of wood against wall was heard over the alarm.

"Freeze!" Mako and Korra yelled in tandem, their guns trained on the robbers, bags of loot dragging behind them.

There were four men in the doorway. They each wore black suits and had their faces covered by gray bandanas so that only their eyes were showing. Each had a bag in one hand while their other clutched a pistol. That was, except for the man out front who carried a Tommy Gun with a one-hundred round drum barrel. Shit, that was a lot of ammo.

Korra sensed the hesitation of the four men. They weren't going to surrender and she sure was hell wasn't going to give them a chance to get a shot on her. She was not going to bleed out in this shitty little back room.

She squeezed the trigger twice, emptying two rounds into the Tommy Gun carrier's torso. The robber fell to his knees as shots began to fly across the small room. Korra ducked back behind the desk, her head down as bullets tore through the wall behind her.

"When we write the report, he shot first," Korra nudged him.

Mako squatted and popped a few shots off as Korra emptied the rest of her clip blindly over the desk for covering fire. She dropped the spent clip to the floor and pulled another from her shoulder holster. Korra flinched when she heard a bullet ricochet off the top of her desk; just a few inches of adjustment and that round could have easily embedded itself in her skull. They only needed to keep holding them off. By this point the uniforms just had to be breaching through the front.

Korra hastily pulled a stapler off the desk and chucked it to the opposite side of the room. The ruckus caused the remaining three men to shoot in that direction.

She took her opportunity and popped out of cover, firing off three rounds.

One of the robbers cried out, but she had only managed to graze him it seemed. Fuck, she was supposed to be better than that!

"Freeze! Guns down!" Four uniformed officers in their duty blues busted into the room.

The robber's guns clattered to the floor when they realized they were the ones far outgunned this time.

Mako and Korra stood slowly, their hands in the air not to provoke any attack from their fellow officers.

"I'm going to put my gun away, and reach slowly into my jacket and pull my badge out," Mako spoke in a measured and level manner.

"Aw, shit. Put down your guns, boys," the officer in charge said. "They're detectives. Did you come around the back? Probably where we hauled the getaway driver off a few minutes ago…"

Korra holstered her gun and nodded.

"Thanks for all your help then. We're just glad to grab these guys. We'll need your reports."

"Of course," Mako nodded. "We'll let you do the rest. Good work, boys."

Korra followed Mako out the way they came. Yes, part of her job was the occasional scrap or chase, but she didn't wish to become so accustomed to combat that it never bothered her. She was a police officer, not a solider after all. As they passed into the alley, Korra reached into her jacket and pulled out a cigarette. Her hands were shaking just enough for Mako to notice as she brought the cigarette to her mouth.

"Here," Mako pulled his lighter out. He leaned close, lighting the tip and shielding it from the wind with his other hand. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she avoided his eyes and walked past him.

She took a deep drag off of her cigarette. She was fine, truthfully. Just because she was a bit cocky didn't mean that she didn't mean she didn't get shaken up. It was a sort of involuntary response; her head felt clear but her body was reacting. They did their bit of good today, and she just wanted to get out of there.

The walk back to Mako's Satomobile was quick. Korra jogged around to the passenger side quickly and slid into the seat.

"T-Thanks," Korra tossed her cigarette and lit another one with his car lighter, "for having my back."

"Thanks for trusting me to do it," he cocked his head to the side. "You know, we never finished our talk earlier. Are you still angry?"

"Honestly?" Korra took a deep breath. "A bit, yeah. What you did…what  _happened_ , was pretty big…"

On some level, she understood it wasn't his fault. He had done the right thing, and she had been on the wrong path. Nevertheless, the whole situation that was largely professional still felt so profoundly personal; this is what made it hurt. It was hard for her to draw a line between those two parts of herself. Perhaps this was why everything between them got so messy and out of control.

But on the professional level, it was clear that they were largely unaffected today. The way they worked together was like them at the height of the Red Killer case. They could do this. They could solve this mystery together.

"…But I know you still have my back," Korra looked away. "I think we can work together. Do you?"

"I wouldn't have picked you for this case if I didn't."

Korra didn't reply as Mako pulled back on to the street and pointed them towards the station.

For some reason, she noticed his left hand draped over the steering wheel as he drove the car. His sleeves were rolled up just enough to expose his wrist.

"You still wear that watch I got you for your birthday," she stated it flatly.

"Well, uh," she could have sworn she saw some color rise in his cheeks, "it's a nice watch."

"It was always like pulling teeth for you to wear it," she smiled and reveled in the nostalgia back when there were good feelings between them, if only for a moment.

The watch was a fine silver timepiece. He had been so overwhelmed by it when she presented it to him. He said it was too much, she said it was just enough.

"I-I never said that, by the way, I liked your hair short."

Korra tried desperately not to blush, "T-Thanks."

They had gotten too close. Like a finger just barely touching a hot skillet, they both recoiled away and hid in silence. It was going to be easier to work this case and just forget everything that happened…or at least try. She needed some space from him; just having him nearby was intoxicating again and like after a few shots, she was beginning to feel the headiness get to her.

"We don't have any other evidence," she tossed her cigarette out the window. "Why don't we just resume on Monday?"

"Yeah," he exhaled, "that would be fine," he pulled up in front of the station. "I'll see you Monday then."

"Monday," Korra stepped out on to the curb and didn't bother to look back.

She had plenty of action for one day. Korra walked around back of the station and slipped into her Satomobile. She drove back to her apartment, her thoughts overridden by a complicated mess of emotions that she wasn't keen on dealing with. One day back and she couldn't get him off of her mind.

She once told Mako, "Everyone has their vice." It was obvious that smoking was her principal guilty pleasure. Even just halfway home she felt the familiar itch and compulsion to light up again. Maybe it was time to admit that maybe Mako was another one of her weak points. Korra honestly wasn't sure how she felt about him anymore. So much time had passed and she had spent years convincing herself that he was horrible for her, yet she still felt confused.

As soon as she got out of her car, another cigarette was instantly between her lips. She climbed the stairs to her apartment quickly and rushed through the door. Lighting up first with a half-empty pack of matches from the last restaurant she visited, she shrugged her jacket off and hung her coat on the rack nearby the door.

She needed a distraction. Mako wasn't supposed to be waltzing through her thoughts again. She didn't want a reminder of their good times or how she felt with him. She couldn't allow herself to dive back into those memories

Korra pulled out a glass from the cabinet and poured herself an inch of gin and took a quick sip before replacing the cigarette back between her lips. She picked up the phone and dialed the number scribbled on the note attached to her refrigerator.

The phone rang three times until a "hello" came from the other end of the line.

"Hey, babe," Korra dabbed her cigarette in the ashtray. "You wanna come and spend the night? I'll make you a nightcap."

After all, everyone had their breaking point. Korra preferred to keep moving long enough that she never found it in any area of her life.


	4. Blue Moon

**Rating:** M (Violence and Smut)

**Chapter Word Count:** ~3500

 **Summary:** Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to  _Rhapsody in Red_  and  _Mystery on the Republic City Express_ ] Noir AU

.

**Chapter 4 – "Blue Moon"**

" _Blue moon_

_Now I'm no longer alone_

_Without a dream in my heart_

_Without a love of my own"_

.

Korra swirled the dregs of brandy in her glass while wisps of smoke swirled in the air from the cigarette she just pressed into the ashtray. With this poisoner case on the horizon, she wasn't sure the next time she would have a Sunday evening to herself, so she was determined to take advantage of it. She reclined languidly in her robe, head thrown back and eyes closed, the file with the little information they had on the new case left open on the coffee table. The light in the room just bright enough from the lamp in the corner that she could read if she strained her eyes to make out the lines of half handwritten, half typeset text.

The weekend had been nice, to say the least. Ania was a nice woman, and they both understood that this was nothing more than a little fling. Was it enough? It was hard to say. Korra was so used to the whole routine of the revolving door of companions she felt dulled to the emotions of it all. She wasn't looking for fulfillment in a relationship; she was certain that such a thing was something she was fully capable of seeking out and attaining on her own.

She had to run into the station on Saturday to file her report regarding the bank robbery. It was easy enough; both her and Mako's reports indicated that the robbers shot first. Especially considering that the crook discharged a number of rounds in the main area of the bank, their story wasn't looked into very closely. Quite frankly, even if it had been, it probably would have been swept under the rug. It wouldn't have mattered anyway; the men were armed and dangerous after all, but Korra preferred to give chances when she could.

The ring of her telephone interrupted her thoughts. She couldn't think of any reason to call her after seven on a Sunday evening if it wasn't work related. Korra stood slowly and walked over to the kitchen and picked the handset off of the heavy rotary phone.

"Hello?"

"Am I interrupting something?" Mako's voice came through the earpiece.

"Just a normal Sunday evening. Is something going on?"

"I can't say over the phone…" she sensed his hesitation. "Can I give you an address to meet me at?"

"I shouldn't drive, I've been drinking…not much I promise," Korra didn't want him to think she shouldn't be on the scene. "Can you just pick me up?"

"That's fine. Can you call Jinora and tell her that I'll pick her up too? We're going to want her on the scene."

He hadn't asked if she lived in the same place, but since he was right, she had no reason correct him. The fact that he wanted Jinora on the scene was telling though; it meant they had a body. His reluctance to say over the phone indicated that this was possibly something big, but Korra had no way of knowing until they made it to the scene.

Korra pulled out her small notebook from the pocket of her trench coat by the door. She quickly dialed Jinora.

"Hello?"

"Jinora, it's Korra."

"Well, good evening!"

"I hope you're not busy. Mako and I are getting you on the way to a crime scene. Time to get to work."

"I'll be ready in ten minutes."

Korra pulled on a pair of black pants and a navy blue button down shirt. If Mako was calling from home, he would be here any minute now. That is, if her assumption that he hadn't moved since she had last visited him at home was true. She secured the leather buckles of her shoulder holster and slipped her gun inside before double-checking that she had replenished the clips she had burned through at the bank heist.

She swung on her coat and hat, locked the door behind her, and headed down the stairs. It wasn't too cold, so she elected to wait outside. Korra reached into her jacket and lit the last of her matches before lighting the cigarette between her lips. The moon hung above her high in the sky, full and bright even against the golden glow of Republic City. The metropolis had long ago stopped surprising her as far as the amount of grime it could hide. She was sure that she would never have a lasting impact on the safety of the city through her work.

That had only recently started to worry her. If she wasn't making an impact that was real and lasting, what was she doing? Yeah, she didn't need some sort of grandiose legacy, but as someone who had uttered the phrase, "I am the job," before, what was she if her job wasn't making an impact? Korra tossed her cigarette to the curb and pressed the embers out with the toe of her shoe. Now wasn't the time to be considering that sort of thing; she had bigger matters to attend to.

Mako's car pulled up smoothly alongside of her. She took a deep breath before ducking inside and sliding into the smooth, leather passenger seat. As happy as she was that they had a nice conversation post-bank heist, a bit of happy chitchat didn't mean they were on solid ground.

"What's going on?"

Mako's expression was stern. "The District Attorney was discovered dead in his apartment along with his wife."

"Ano Kaito?" Korra felt her stomach drop.

"The one and only."

She had never been particularly fond of Kaito. He wasn't as aggressive with pressing charges as she would have liked, but he wasn't  _horrible_  compared to the other corrupt assholes that he was surrounded by.

"Where does Jinora live?" Mako pulled away from the curb.

"Upper East Side."

"Perfect, the Kaitos lived over there."

Korra caught the edge in his voice. The Upper East Side was one of the more affluent neighborhoods in Republic City. "Of course the girl has some money, Mako. Family and otherwise…being a doctor pays."

"Of course."

Mako always seemed to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder about those born into wealth. But Korra knew better; it wasn't that simple. He hated that there were individuals with power in the city with no ability or want to wield it appropriately. Money was one means to power but certainly not the only one; Mako just wanted a city in which power wasn't so corrupt, she felt the same.

Jinora ran out of her apartment building when the pulled up by the curb. The remaining five or so blocks of driving went very quickly as Mako filled Jinora in on the little information that they had. The buildings were lower here, most four to six stories in height. There was a comfortable, lower population density in this neighborhood you could enjoy; that is, if you could afford it.

Mako pulled the car up by the curb and the three unloaded the vehicle. The red and blue flashing lights of the three marked police cars cast long shadows in the moonlit night. A small crowd had begun to gather in the surrounding area. Looked to her to be mostly locals out on the street on the nice evening, but the reporters would show up soon enough. As soon as someone caught a whiff off how big this was they would be fending off newspaper writers like flies in the summer.

Korra and Mako led the way with Jinora in tow. They hurried up the stairs, their badges in hand as the uniformed officers allowed them into the building. Their shoes clicked against the granite floor of the lobby as they made their way inside. The entryway immediately pulled the eye upwards, as a staircase wrapped towards the top of the building around an elegant elevator.

Korra pulled open the outer cage of the elevator."Which floor?"

"Sixth," Mako closed the inner cage.

The sixth floor was the top floor of the building. Ano Kaito had the pleasure of enjoying the penthouse. His door was the only one on the floor. The three took a few steps forward on the ornate carpet towards the green door labeled "Apartment 601."

"Detectives?" One of the officers at the door addressed them.

Korra and Mako both showed their badges.

"That's us," Korra gestured to Jinora. "And the new coroner."

"Last one didn't make house calls," the officer smiled.

"Things are changing," Jinora adjusted the bag on her shoulder.

"I'm Officer Wook. I'll take you in."

Wook opened the door carefully and stepped through the entryway. "We responded to a call from the housekeeper an hour ago. She said she usually comes in to cook dinner on Sundays as Ano and his wife, Honoka, spend the first night before the workweek in."

The first thing Korra noticed was how in place everything was. The apartment was decorated lavishly. Paintings adorned the walls and trinkets of all kinds littered the bookshelves, tables, and lid of the baby grand piano in the corner. Nothing was knocked over, nothing was disturbed.

Yet, inexplicably, Ano and Honoka were dead. Ano's body was slumped to the side, while his wife's head lolled back, her arms splayed on either side of her body. One might even think they were sleeping if they didn't know any better.

"Housekeeper said that she came in and found them like this. Neighbors will verify that she screamed."

"And she called the cops?" Korra pulled her notepad out of her coat.

"Yeah," Wook rubbed the back of his neck. "Poor lady was in shock."

Jinora moved towards the still bodies of Ano and Honoka. She dropped her bag to the side and examined them with a keen eye.

"What else did she say?" Mako's eyes followed Jinora as she began examining the victims.

"She said nothing seemed out of the ordinary…but honestly the dame was sobbing so hard I just had one of the boys take her home."

"Go back and take a full statement tomorrow," Korra stepped around to Jinora's side. "And go ahead and start canvassing the building. Check for neighbors who might have seen something out of the ordinary."

"Someone had to have seen something," Mako stroked his chin, "They didn't just drop dead for no reason."

"Sure seems like they did though," Wook tipped his hat and stepped out of the room.

Upon closer examination, the bodies of Ano and Honoka Kaito weren't as peaceful as Korra originally observed from afar. Their teeth were clenched, and their lips were stained with a bloody froth. Their faces were blued, as if strangled, but red spots blotched their fair complexions. Most of all, it was familiar. She had seen a man killed like this before years ago on a train speeding away from Republic City.

"Mako…" Korra caught his eye. "Does this ring any bells for you?"

His brow creased, "You're thinking about that case on the Republic City Express, aren't you?"

"It's the same."

The voice of Mongkut, the deceased owner of the Republic City Express' voice rung through her head when he warned them about "change coming." Korra realized this was probably not relevant, and moved on to the task at hand.

"Well…" Jinora carefully examined the body of Ano. "It looks like cyanide to me." Her eyes thoughtfully passed over his features. "Always leaves these obvious signs. Shuts down the body's ability to carry oxygen. That's why it almost looks as if they were strangled. They asphyxiated due to the toxin."

"Poison…" Mako took a deep breath. "Looks like the shoe fits on this new killer."

"Wait a second," Korra looked around the room again. "How were they poisoned then?"

"Cyanide is pretty easy to disguise in food or drink," Jinora pulled out a magnifying glass to examine Honoka more closely.

Korra searched the immediate vicinity and wandered into the kitchen. "No food, no drink in here. Wasn't the housekeeper going to cook them the meal anyway? There isn't even a plate out…"

"Could they have eaten before they got here and had the poison take effect when they sat down?" Mako paced.

"No," Jinora stood up and shook her head. "The cyanide would have acted too quickly."

"Then how were they poisoned?" Korra frowned.

Of course this case wasn't going to be simple. She couldn't expect it to be anything other than a true mystery.

"Can we get the bodies back to my lab in Bay View?" Jinora picked up her bag and stepped away from the couch. "Sorry I can't tell you more here. I'll need to perform a full autopsy. Without any other evidence of foul play other than the fact that they are unexpectedly dead, I need to look further."

"Yeah," Mako nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. "We need answers."

Korra sighed, "The sooner we figure out how they were poisoned, the quicker we can get after whoever did it." She walked towards the door and tapped the remaining stationed officer on the shoulder. "Get these two to the morgue at Bay View when the ambulance pulls up."

She took a moment to look through the rest of the apartment. The place looked lived in and yet nothing stood out as odd. Ano's study looked like it had been used that evening, and the master bed was still made up. Korra couldn't imagine that another person had been here for any other motive than murder alone.

"What is going on in there?"

Mako and Korra peered out the open door of the apartment. Officer Wook had his hand pressed against a much smaller man's chest. His dark purple button down was ruffled from this, and the man was quick to straighten his collar and adjust his belt.

"Who's this?" Mako stepped through the doorway.

"I'm Sung, the goddamn landlord!" He weaseled his way out from Wook's grasp. "What the hell is going on up here?"

"We're afraid the two residents of this apartment were found dead this evening," Mako's tone of voice was flat and professional.

"T-The Kaitos?" Sung sputtered, color draining from his face. "W-What h-happened to them?"

Mako pulled out his notebook, "That's under investigation."

"W-Was it faulty security? I have a number of powerful clients that need to feel p-protected I need to know I—"

"Can you tell me about your whereabouts this evening?" Korra chose to ignore his self-centered babbling.

Sung flinched as reality finally caught up with him. "I-I was out. I was at the grocery store with my wife! You don't t-think I did this?"

"No," Korra smiled. "Just getting us on the same page. Have you noticed anything unusual lately?"

He shook his head, "No I haven't."

"No one suspicious in the building that isn't usually here?" Mako pressed.

"I mean…the apartment below this one got fumigated yesterday…it was an emergency or something…they said they had to be out the whole day."

"Which apartment unit?" Korra scribbled this note down.

"502. It's right below."

The apartments wouldn't link between floors, but a mystery work crew was just too good to pass up. Someone determined and skilled could probably have made it work.

"Take the rest of his statement then search this place top to bottom," she pointed to Wook. "Jinora, meet us in the lobby in ten minutes."

Mako and Korra hurried one floor down the stairs that wrapped around the elevator shaft. Korra's heart pounded in her chest. This could be it. This could be their vital link. Nothing excited her more on a case than seeing all the pieces come together. Having a break this early could mean that they would stop more needless deathes.

Korra knocked on the door and pulled out her badge.

A middle-aged woman in a pink robe answered the door. "Can I help you?"

"Republic City Police, ma'am," Mako tipped his hat. "We're investigating a case in this building. Would you mind if we asked you a simple question?"

"Of course not, officers."

"Your apartment was fumigated yesterday, is that correct?" Korra asked.

"Yes," she rubbed the back of her neck. "It was sudden…people from the city showed up and said it was urgent and to be out of the apartment the whole day."

"Names? Description of them? Maybe a card with a number on it?" Mako's voice had an edge of excitement to it. He always enjoyed the rush of a case.

"Well, they were all wearing gas masks when they came…" the woman squinted, trying to remember. "They gave my husband a work order…I think he has it with him at work!"

"Is there anyway we could get that from you," Korra smiled. "It would help us greatly."

"I'm Bo…do you have a card?"

Mako pulled a business card from his coat and placed it in her hand. "Please contact me right away."

"I promise!"

With that, their time at the scene was over. All the two could do now was play the waiting game. Waiting for Jinora to determine cause of death, and waiting for Bo to figure out what maintenance crew from the city fumigated their house, and waiting for the result of the search of the apartment. But something told Korra that when they looked into city records, they wouldn't find any city workers doing service yesterday in the logs. This all just reeked of conspiracy; they just needed to get to the bottom of it.

They met Jinora in the lobby and headed outside. A few reporters mulled around the outside of the building in the moonlight. Korra pulled a cigarette out, and Mako pulled his lighter out without a moment of hesitation. But as they approached the car, a figure was leaning up against the automobile door.

"Get out of here, punk!" Mako hollered, his keys swinging around one finger at the young man with the flat cap.

Korra placed a hand on his arm. "I know him." She jogged up to the car and clapped the young man on the shoulder. "Kai…"

"Oh hey, Korra!" He grinned. "You got any more cigarettes? I'm out."

She rolled her eyes and handed him the almost empty carton from her pocket. "You're not blowing your money on other shit, are you?"

"Nah," he lit the cigarette and placed it between his lips.

"What are you doing here?"

"I heard there was action and I—" Kai leaned around Korra. His eyes darted between Mako and Jinora until finally settling on the young lady. "Hey there, sweetheart."

Korra saw the ghost of a blush blossom on Jinora's face. Kai was a lady's man through and through. But there was something in his eyes that Korra wasn't used to seeing. There was a softness instead of the usual bad boy glare.

"Hello," Jinora tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Want a smoke?"

Korra tried not to roll her eyes as he tried to offer her one of the cigarettes she had just so willingly handed over.

Mako placed a protective hand on Jinora's shoulder. "I don't think she does."

"I can speak for myself," Jinora raised her eyebrows at Mako before turning her attention back to Kai. "I don't smoke, but thank you."

"Were you planning on telling me why you're here?" Korra snapped her fingers to get Kai's attention.

"I heard the rumblings," he took a puff off of his cigarette. "This is usually when you need me to keep an eye on things."

Korra pulled a five-dollar bill out of her pocket and slipped it into his hand. "Look for anything suspicious in the area."

Kai wiggled his eyebrows and cockily stood upright. "I'll be in touch." He walked over and took Jinora's fingers into his, and kissed the back of her palm lightly. "Ma'am," he tipped his hat and disappeared into the alley.

The trio loaded into Mako's car. Monday was certainly going to be a busy day with these new developments. They were on the right track, she was sure of it.

"Be careful around guys like that," Mako grumbled as he started the car.

"Why?" Korra nudged him. "Story of a street kid turned good hit a little too close to home?"

Mako shot her an icy glare before ignoring her comment entirely. "Jinora, where do you want to be dropped off?"

"Bay View, please," she requested kindly. "I'm going to get right to work."

Korra wished she could do the same. But frankly, the best she could do tonight is rest and await the oncoming storm in the morning. The death of the district attorney was not something that could be taken lightly. Raiko was probably working on a replacement now to fill the power vacuum and assure the city that the justice system was ready to function at its marginal level. Once the papers got a hold of the story…well she could only hope that they would see it as a bizarre isolated incident. But they could probably only count on that for a little while.

Everything had its tipping point. The case, the reporters…all they had to do was press long enough until they hit it.


	5. Unforgettable

**Rating:** M (Violence and Smut)

 **Chapter Word Count:** ~4400

 **Summary:** Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to  _Rhapsody in Red_  and  _Mystery on the Republic City Express_ ] Noir AU

 **Author Note:**  Wow this chapter ended up long! Sometimes you can never tell when outlining.

.

**Chapter 5 – "Unforgettable"**

" _That's why, darling, it's incredible_

_That someone so unforgettable_

_Thinks that I am_

_Unforgettable, too"_

.

The next morning came earlier than Korra would have liked. She rolled out of bed to the phone ringing off the hook at an ungodly hour. She answered the phone blearily, only to find Mayor Raiko's personal secretary on the other end of the line. Unsurprisingly, the death of the district attorney was an emergency of the highest degree. In response, Raiko requested (or more so ordered) that she and Mako be at his office first thing in the morning. Of course, she was in no position to refuse, so she rushed out of bed and joined the morning rush hour in her Satomobile and picked up Mako on the way.

So here they were, twiddling their thumbs idly for the last thirty minutes in City Hall. Korra sat opposite of Mako in the cozy, plush waiting room. The glass coffee table between them held two half-filled cups of tea in delicate pieces of blue and white china that the two had nursed through their waiting.

"Bolin wants to see you," Mako took a sip from his cup. "He suggested that we go out tonight."

All they could do was chat and keep themselves occupied. Korra didn't like to be kept waiting. To her, it was about power balance. It meant that one party thought that their time was worth more than the others'. It was rude, and if she wasn't sure that Mako would reel her back, she would have barged through the tall, dark wood doors of his office fifteen minutes ago.

"Really?" She crossed her arms and made no effort to hide her amusement. "You… _you_  are suggesting that we go out on the night after we found the district attorney dead in his home?"

"You know as well as I do that working hard on this case doesn't mean that we pull an all-nighter every evening," he smiled slightly over his cup. "He misses you."

There was something uncomfortable with the idea of keeping Bolin in her life after her nasty breakup with Mako. In a time when she so desperately needed to move herself away from Mako and everything that reminded her of him, it just seemed impossible to keep Bolin around. He had been a wonderful friend, but the temptation to asking how Mako was faring in the aftermath of all the events was far too great for her to resist. So she stopped returning calls and making lunch dates and eventually, Bolin got the idea. She was sure she had hurt him, but knowing Bolin she knew that he and his perpetually kind and untarnished heart understood.

Rubbing elbows with Mako on a basis that was not strictly professional made her uncomfortable. They were doing okay playing partners again. It was a careful balancing act, and she wasn't sure what could knock them off kilter and she honestly didn't want to take the risk. Then again, the chance to see Bolin again was difficult to pass up.

Korra crossed her arms, "How about I say 'maybe' and we play it by ear?"

"Fair enough and maybe we could—"

The tall, dark wooden doors of Mayor Raiko's office creaked open.

Raiko took a few steps outside, his polished black shoes clicking against the marble floor. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Please, come inside."

Mako and Korra followed quickly. His office was large. His desk, a carved wooden piece with obvious master craftsmanship was the centerpiece of the room. The room was adorned with various decorations, the most poignant of which was a large, hand-drawn map of the original street plans for Republic City.

"Please sit," Raiko motioned to two vacant chairs setup in front of his desk before taking his own seat.

One of the seats was filled. The woman shot Mako and Korra a brief glance as they sat down but made no effort to introduce herself. Korra didn't recognize her. She sat ramrod straight up in her chair with a sternly serious expression. Her hair was black and wavy, pulled back out of her face, revealing green eyes and thick eyebrows. A single black beauty mark was present beneath her right eye.

"As you can imagine, the death of Ano Kaito and his wife are very concerning," Raiko wiped at his round glasses with a cloth. "It is clear that whomever is targeting the people of this city has no difficulty in being bold. When I told Chief Beifong that I wanted the best assigned to this case I did so hoping to prevent something like this from happening."

Korra knew part of Raiko's concern was his own life. Killing the district attorney was already a huge move. How long until they came after the mayor of the city?

"Detective Korra and I are doing our best," Mako assured Raiko. "Whoever did this was good. We're still gathering evidence—"

"I'm not worried about your competency," Raiko settled his glasses back on to his face. "You two are well aware that it is in your best interest to solve this case swiftly. Good things will come of that."

"Then why are we here?" Korra leaned back in her chair.

Raiko folded his hands on his desk. "I've been up all night with my advisors selecting the new district attorney. I don't need to explain to you two how important this position is to how the police department operates and brings criminals to justice"

Of course, the DA was in charge of prosecution of criminals in Republic City. A strong and competent prosecutor was key to having a working justice system. Korra sized up the woman in the third chair again. From appearance and the set of her jawline, Korra was inclined to assess her as strong. She was dressed simply in a dark green pantsuit. She certainly didn't look the part of a showy lawyer.

"I would like you two to meet Kuvira, our new DA."

Mako and Korra stood after Kuvira did. Korra shook her hand firmly and looked the lawyer in the eye.

"It's good to meet you," Kuvira's face remained serious. "I am looking forward to working with you two."

"Kuvira was the District Attorney in Ba Sing Se," Raiko motioned for them to sit again. "She has a reputation for being tough on crime."

"I am willing to do everything within my power to make Republic City governed truly by rule of law," there was a fiery passion hiding beneath Kuvira's calmness. "I'm not interested in helping to protect a city that protects  _some_  more than others."

Korra watched Raiko's expression turn icy. A Republic City with equal protection under the law would mean that the businessmen who propped Raiko up and allowed him to run would be very displeased. She couldn't help but think that the mayor had appointed someone outside of his ability to handle.

"Well in full disclosure," Raiko slapped on a fake smile, "Kuvira was educated here in Republic City. Her law degree was financed by the CEO of Zaofu Steel, Suyin Beifong."

"The Chief's sister," Mako nodded.

"Your boss is quite well connected," Kuvira raised her eyebrows and interlaced her fingers in front of her. It was hard to miss the large, diamond engagement ringer on her finger, "Everyone has to be."

Raiko stood up, "The other reason you're here is so you can appear at the press conference that we are about to have. Your presence will assure the people of Republic City that the case is in good hands."

The next hour was mostly waiting around in the mayor's waiting room until they were shuffled downstairs to the same room that Jinora's press conference took place only a few days ago. They said all press was good press, but the seemingly revolving door that was Raiko's appointees couldn't look good. Korra could only imagine what the more vitriolic editorials were spouting.

The first five or so minutes of the presser was Raiko blabbing. Honestly, she checked out despite being on stage placed next to Mako and behind Raiko to form some sort of illusion of solidarity between them.

"…Without further ado…our new district attorney is Kuvira!" Raiko smiled and made way for Kuvira to take her place at the microphone.

Her posture was upright and confident as she took the podium, a hand on each side of the lip at the top. She smiled ever so slightly for the cameras before beginning.

"Things are going to change," she let her words resonate over the room. "It is inevitable and wholly needed in this city. No longer will Republic City allow gangsters and criminals to have a blind eye turned to their destructive actions. That is all."

Korra would have grinned widely had the flashes of reporter's cameras not reminded her that any face she made was liable to end up on the cover of any number of newspapers that afternoon. She was sure she hadn't liked any district attorney this much. None had seemed so…unwavering. But time would tell; first impressions were often wrong.

Raiko took the podium again, "Regarding the death of Ano Kaito and his wife…" he looked down in a brief moment of silence. "Detectives Mako and Korra, noted for solving the Red Killer case three years ago will be taking point on these two untimely deaths. I needn't assure any of you that this case is in good hands as the city is already familiar with their work."

Mako and Korra smiled politely.

"This city will not bow to the wills of criminals…"

Korra wanted to roll her eyes.

"…I can assure you all that we will move forward with business as usual," Raiko's expression was somber. "We will have an announcement on memorial services for the Kaitos soon. In the meantime, I want to dispel rumors from this morning that the annual Founder's Gala and Dinner will be cancelled. This is simply not true. The event will take place two nights from now as it has been scheduled for. No questions, thank you."

Mako and Korra slipped out the side door into the hall.

"What do you think of her?" Korra led the way back to her Satomobile.

"Well she talks the talk, let's see if she walks the walk," Mako shrugged. "Come on, let's head over to Bay View and see if Jinora has anything for us."

Of course every DA came in with strong words, but none had spoken about organized crime or governmental corruption so strongly. There was something different about Kuvira…she just knew it.

.

.

Bay View Hospital was the oldest in Republic City, and the oldest in the entire United Republic. The building looked out over the eastern part of Yue Bay, it's rustic brickwork rising eight stories above the street with two square turrets rising up and away from the building on the waterside. It was a building from an older era of the city; there were plans to expand the center and add buildings when funds became available. Mako and Korra entered through the front and pointed towards the basement morgue by a preoccupied receptionist.

Despite the impressive exterior, the inside of the medical center was strictly utilitarian. Republic City was big, and new people arrived every day by boat and land to try to make their dreams come true. With the population density steadily climbing along with each new skyscraper built, disease was always a threat.

And of course, the morgue was in the basement. Despite the ventilation systems, the smell of formaldehyde robbed her of any appetite she might have worked up for lunch.

Jinora was hunched over her desk outside of the morgue itself, her hair falling out of her bun and into her face. She looked up as they entered the room and pushed her glasses up. Her face betrayed her exhaustion. Dark bags were present under her eyes, and her posture was tired and slumped.

"You got anything for us?" Korra walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder in concern.

"Yeah…" she pulled out two files. "I performed an autopsy on both of the Kaitos last night. It looks like cyanide…"

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming," Mako rested his hand on his hip.

"It's odd…" Jinora rubbed her forehead wearily. "Usually, cyanide leaves a bloody trail in the intestines and I didn't find one. It wasn't food poisoning I can say for sure…the bodies were stiff and cold like I would expect from cyanide."

"So you're saying…they didn't eat anything poisoned?" Korra scratched her head.

"Yes?" She was unsure. "Early this morning I went back to the apartment and took samples to see if anything has traces of cyanide…I still can't find the delivery method. I'm going to go back in and examine further."

"Do you have anyone that can help?" Korra sat on the corner of her desk.

Jinora shook her head, "Raiko slashed my budget. The morgue here is outdated to say the least. Luckily I have the means to order the equipment myself," she smiled.

Korra patted her on the back. She loved the audacity of it. Raiko wasn't pleased to have to appoint a real coroner (it was one fewer prize position he could dole out), so of course he was fine undercutting the new one wherever he could. Yet, Jinora was finding ways around the twist system she had been pulled into; Korra couldn't help but be proud.

"I'm not a chemist," Jinora pushed her glasses up and rubbed her eyes. "I'm pushing the limits of the tests that we have…I honestly need help."

Hadn't Asami told her when they last had coffee that the new division she was heading up at Sato Industries was some sort of chemical applications division? Maybe she could help, or maybe she even knew someone who can lend a hand.

"I'll make a call," Korra's eyes flicked to Mako and shot him a reassuring look.

"I just need more time—"

"You need to go home and sleep," she motioned for Jinora to stand, and Mako helped her with her coat. "Go home, come back once you've rested."

Of course Korra cared about Jinora personally, but having the coroner, a key to this case, burn out and get herself ill wouldn't help anyone.

She and Mako grabbed lunch from a nearby street vendor headed back to the police station.

Nothing had progressed. They met with the officers who had been at the scene. They searched the Kaito's apartment from top to bottom and found no way for anyone to enter from the unit below. In their opinion, there was no possible way that any sort of forced entry resulted in the deaths of Ano and Honoka Kaito.

Meanwhile, Bo had failed to call them back. After placing numerous calls and sending Officer Wook and his partner back with no response, it became clear that they weren't able to squeeze anything else out of this rock of a day so they retreated to their conference room.

"Should we just call it a day?" Korra's feet were propped up on the conference room table, her eyes closed as she threw the file in her hands back towards Mako.

"Sure," he sighed heavily. "Did you still want to see Bolin tonight?"

"Why not?" She smiled, supposing it was never too late to see old friends. "How is this going to work?"

"How about you come over to my apartment? Then he'll probably want to go out."

Korra remembered the last time she had been to his place. She collected the small box of possessions and clothing that had lived in his closet for the last six months. She couldn't even meet his eyes she was so angry with him. Half of her was afraid if she did speak to him she could cave and fall back into his arms, and she was far too stubborn to allow that to happen.

"That's fine," she kept her voice nonchalant. "I'm going to go run some errands then. I'll see you later."

A genuine smile grew on his lips and a funny feeling of butterflies rose in her stomach. She thought she had been past this and far too old to feel excited at the prospect of anyone looking forward to seeing her.

Was this sort of socialization good for them? Only time would tell.

.

.

Korra was running late. Punctuality was something she always strove for, but time sometimes seemed to slip through her fingers like grains of sand flowing back to their place on the earth. Okay, so being on time wasn't her strength, but that didn't mean she couldn't hurry. With how much she hated lateness from others, knowing she would not be on time always ate at her. Only ten minutes later than she hurried up the stairs to Mako's apartment, trying to suppress unpleasant memories that she wasn't ready to grapple with.

She pushed through the door in his apartment without knocking.

"Korra!" Bolin jumped up from the couch and ran to her, sweeping her up into a tight hug.

She reciprocated without hesitation, "Hey!"

"We can go now!" He practically dragged Korra into the living room.

Mako and Asami sat on opposite couches. Despite all the time, it seemed as if nothing had changed. The flat was still sparsely decorated; Mako was such a workaholic he really only cooked and slept here. The coffee table still had the huge scrape in it from that one time that she smashed an empty bottle on it to prove to him that she was tough as nails that one time they were drunk together and then…

Korra shook the thought before it turned to the sort of memory that she ached for.

"What are we waiting for?" Bolin pulled Asami to her feet. "We need to get some dancing in!"

She couldn't help but feel underdressed as Bolin whisked them across the city in his new car. She was still in her work clothing, while Asami next to her in the back seat was clothed in a slim burgundy dress with a slit up one side that ran all the way up to her thigh.

The dress was certainly appropriate for the club that Bolin dragged them into. It was a new one with a huge stage at the back, the house big band rattled off jazz standards while the dancers took front and center in the dim light. From there, a large dance floor ringed by golden lights hosted a throng of bodies.

Bolin had a booth reserved right at the edge of the dance floor. His near-celebrity status from his rising boxing status brought them immediate bottle service from a woman in a form-fitting dress.

Korra relaxed back in her chair as she sipped at her drink. As tempting as it was to gulp down the spirit and allow it go to her head, something told her that the looseness she associated with drunkenness wouldn't be best for her this evening. She had to be on point to avoid slipping into the gravity well that was Mako in her life. It seemed to her that much of surviving (literally and figuratively) and solving this case would rely on her ability to maintain self-control.

It was hard to deny as she examined his profile in the dim light it was undeniable that she was attracted to him. Korra wasn't sure that the sharp lines of his jaw and the rest of his body ever stopped being pleasing to her eye; she simply couldn't let it get any farther than that if she was going to make it. Even admitting that to herself here was a hairline crack in her walls that could build into a much larger issue.

"Whoa," Bolin's eyes were trained on a girl whirling alone on the dance floor.

The woman was probably just a bit shorter than she was with razor-cut short hair. Her dress swirled around her knees as she spun gracefully as if she controlled the very air around her.

"She's gorgeous," Bolin sighed dreamily. "I need to dance with her."

" _Need_?" Mako quirked an eyebrow.

Bolin shot up from his chair, "She could be my soulmate! She's unforgettable!"

Korra's eyes followed him as he weaved through the crowd until he reached the woman. He pressed a chaste kiss to the back of her hand before drawing her body close to his and swaying to the slow ballad the band had begun to play.

"Soulmate?" Mako rolled his eyes.

Asami shrugged and took a sip of her drink, "You never know really."

"I don't believe it," Korra shrugged. "But you know Bolin, he connects with people really fast."

The idea that she was forged with another person in mind wasn't particularly appealing to her. Same with the subsequent idea that humans were incomplete, doomed to search for the person to fulfill them for the rest of their lives. She was positive she could find "completeness" alone.

"How's the chemical work going?" Korra asked Asami.

"It's…going…" Asami swirled her drink. "Not as much independence as I hoped."

A few more drinks and Asami would spill her guts about how upset she was that her father was CEO again and she wasn't. But Korra wasn't interested in dealing with the weepy, emotional drunk the woman sometimes became.

"Would you be interested in something on the side?" Korra knew she had piqued her interest. "We need some chem help at the Coroner's Office working with my friend, the new coroner. It's boundary-pushing stuff and a good opportunity—"

"I'm in."

"Hey guys," Mako put his drink down. "I hate to interrupt but are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Korra followed his gaze to the dance floor. A burly, tall man was standing over Bolin and he didn't look happy.

"Come on," she tapped Mako on the arm. "Let's go back up your brother."

"Back him up?" Asami took Korra's drink from her hand.

"The guy is going to fight Bolin over the girl," Mako took of his suit jacket and left it on the chair before rolling up his sleeves. "Korra, lead the way."

As the two got closer, she could hear Bolin arguing with the man. The dancers started to part and move away from the two, unwilling to be caught in the crossfire. Frankly, Korra felt bad for the guy; Bolin was smaller but as a trained boxer he packed a real wallop.

"I'm not his girl!" The woman Bolin was dancing with shouted over the music. "I never have been and don't plan on it… _ever_."

"We'll see about that," the guy threw a punch.

Bolin saw it coming. It was all so telegraphed. The way he angled his shoulders even before he moved his arm to initiate the sucker punch. He ducked the wild punch and shuffled so he was at the man's side and aligned his body so he was perpendicular with his assailant. He dropped his center of gravity and clinched him around the torso. From there all he had to do was extend his height and catch one of the man's feet to send him tumbling to the ground.

Korra watched a few more men step out from the crowd eager to fight. She pulled her badge, "Why don't we all just calm down?"

The fighter got to his feet, his pride wounded. "Yeah, well where were you five minutes ago?"

A smaller man tapped the fighter on the shoulder. The man's hair looked to be painstakingly coifed. His moustache was curled delicately at the ends and his suit screamed money.

"Why don't you get yourself a drink at the bar on me," he patted the guy's arm. "Anything you want. Tell 'em to put it on Varrick's tab."

"What are you doing here?" Asami approached the group, her arms crossed.

"What am  _I_ doing here?" He laughed. "I own the place! They say jazz clubs always return your investment especially with all the stuff that goes on in the back!" Varrick's gaze turned to the girl that Bolin had danced with and defended. "Well look who it is. Opal Beifong!"

Bolin froze, "Wait…Beifong…as in—"

"Yeah, that's me," Opal crossed her arms and glared at Varrick. "Can't a girl get a night out?"

"Every night is a night out," he wagged his finger at the group. "You two!" He exclaimed at Korra and Mako before overzealously shaking both of their hands. "The famed detectives of the Red Killer case! I hear you're working on that poisoner now. Care to give a guy the scoop?"

"I'm afraid that isn't possible," Mako's voice was steady.

Varrick shrugged, "Not like it matters. My assistant Zhu-Li  _personally_  checks everything that I eat and drink now."

The man was positively erratic. Of course Korra had heard things, but she had never met him in person. Maybe it would have been better if she never had.

"You…" Varrick eyed Bolin up and down before shoving a business card into his hand. "Give me a call. I think I have a quite lucrative opportunity for you. Advertising is always looking for models. And Asami—"

"Future Industries isn't for sale," Asami snapped.

"I wasn't asking," he smirked. "I know you don't have that kind of power there anyway now…but that doesn't mean we can't talk business."

Asami shook her head, her face holding neutral but Korra could see the slightest tinges of hurt and anger behind her delicate façade.

"Well the world is always changing," Varrick handed a card to Korra, his tone of voice was difficult to detect fully. "I always find that it's best to be on the front end of change so the past doesn't bowl you over. Wouldn't want you…left behind."

As Korra stood there, card in hand, Mongkut's words on the Republic City Express came into her head again.

" _Change is coming."_

Korra couldn't help but wonder if this was a coincidence.


	6. Big Stuff

**Rating:** M (Violence and Smut)

**Chapter Word Count:** ~3100

**Summary:** Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to  _Rhapsody in Red_  and  _Mystery on the Republic City Express_ ] Noir AU

**Author Note:**  Chapter is dedicated to Staticwaffles for an amazing piece of art of Mako drawing this fic.

.

**Chapter 6 – "Big Stuff"**

" _Let's have a try_  
It maybe that you're my guy  
Let's take a ride on my gravy train  
The door open wide  
Come in from out of the rain"

.

"Detective Korra, are you listening?"

Korra snapped out of her deep train of thought. She and Mako met in the station early that morning after their night out. They didn't have much time at all to pour over their little bit of evidence before they were called into the chief's office.

She jerked her head up so that her eyes met Beifong's. "I uhhh…" she winced, "no I wasn't."

"I want both of you at the Founder's Gala and Dinner tomorrow evening," Lin reiterated. "I am not putting you on official security detail, but I want you to be able to keep an eye on things."

"Is there a threat?" Mako sat up a bit straighter.

Lin shook her head, "If there were, you can guarantee we would be all over it. But considering the boldness of your poisoner and the death of the DA…well, I'm concerned."

If the chief was concerned, they all had reason to be. As a leader, Lin Beifong was fully pragmatic. She wasn't one to bend to others to be scared by talk or threat. If she felt some sort of looming disaster on the horizon, Korra knew she wasn't being irrational. There seemed to be a wave building, slowly approaching the shore. As the depths grew shallower, the threat grew closer and closer to crashing over them. This poisoner wasn't fooling around and they weren't playing a game; they seemed utterly set on inflicting damage.

"Don't worry about uniform," Lin shuffled through some papers. "Show up and wear something nice and just mix with the guests. But wear something practical," she shot a pointed look at Korra.

"Hey, you know me," Korra smirked. "If something goes down the last thing I want to end up doing is running through Republic City in a gown."

"You're dismissed," Lin pointed to the door. "You ride the ass of this housewife who might have the address of the fake city workers. That's your primary lead."

"Yes, chief!" Mako and Korra made their way out.

The chief was right. The fact that Bo, the woman downstairs from the Kaito apartment hadn't gotten back in touch left her worried. Had something happened? Was that information so crucial that someone was interested in shutting her up in a very permanent way? Korra desperately hoped not. It would mean a door slammed shut in their face and the loss of their only real lead in this case that was barely giving them morsels to go off of.

"What do we want to do about the Kaito's neighbor?" Korra turned to Mako as they walked down the hall.

They walked slowly, forcing other officers to walk around them in the passageway. It was a busy area of the station, but Korra had more to worry about than causing a minor foot-traffic jam. She couldn't be sure if it was a challenging case or Mako (or perhaps a combination of both) that caused all the other distractions to fade from her awareness.

"We should check in on them again," Mako frowned. "But I think we'd better check on Jinora and Asami first. Since Asami headed right over there from the bar, they might have pulled an all-nighter."

After the conversation with Varrick at the bar, Asami placed a call to Jinora immediately at the payphone at the back of the establishment. Korra stood with her in the flickering dim light, her back against the rough, unfinished brick. Asami was the sort of person who, when stuff got her knocked off balance, dove into something else headfirst and without thinking. This wasn't so bad for their current case; a fully committed Asami could help them out immensely. However, this trait wasn't so great when she decided that to sell a controlling share of Future Industries to Varrick so that she could get a foot into the arms business on what seemed like a whim.

"Fair enough," Korra replied. "Let's get going then."

The duo grabbed their coats and headed down to Mako's car parked out back. If all they could do now was chase at morsels of evidence then that's what they had to do. Cases had a way of revealing themselves when it was time. Korra hated this; she preferred to relentlessly pursue and chase until she got the truth that she craved. Yet, mysteries always held on to their secrets longer than anyone would have liked.

Korra leaned against the window of Mako's car, relishing in the cooling sensation as he pulled out on the streets. She rolled down the window just a crack and reached for the in-car lighter. Her first drag off of the fresh cigarette brought her less relief that she had hoped.

"Do you feel it too?" She closed her eyes. "The feeling that something bad is going to happen."

"Well, that's why we're being proactive instead of dwelling on it," he kept his eyes on the road.

"I know that," she snapped. "Do you really call what we're doing here proactive? Right now all we can do is react!"

"Korra, calm down. It's the nature of investigation. You know better."

She huffed, trying to downplay how angry his condescending little line bit at her. She liked to think that he no longer really knew her, although it was clear he still understood her perfectly well. Regardless, Korra decided to do her best to sideline these emotions as she ducked out of the car and led the way into Bay View Hospital. She held her tongue as they hurried into the basement to the morgue.

The scene was different from what they had encountered on their last visit to the dark, dank cellar of the hospital. Asami and Jinora were huddled around a large set of chemistry apparatus. Glass beakers, flasks, and tubes swirled with unknown substances. Some bubbled and steamed while others changed hue before her eyes.

Jinora looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. Her face immediately lit up into a grin that defied the exhaustion she surely felt after another all-nighter. "Asami is a genius!"

"The doctor here is the genius," Asami asserted. "I've just added the extra resources she needed to get the final pieces of the puzzle."

"Final pieces?" Korra's heart began to race. "You've figured it out?"

"So I went back through the tissue samples," Jinora pulled out a file. "Asami was able to help me test and we know definitively that it is cyanide."

Mako crossed his arms, "Wasn't it the delivery method what you weren't sure of."

"Over here," she motioned to the bay of windows that looked over the closed area for medical examination.

Korra peered in and followed Jinora into the room. The heavy smell of formaldehyde made her nose wrinkle up and her stomach churn. Asami had to cover her nose with a handkerchief from her pocket. The bodies of Ano and Honoka Kaito were laid out on metal slabs, their bodies covered from the neck down by a pristine white sheet.

Jinora peeled back the covering just enough to expose a large incision down the centerline of Ano Katio's body. Asami's complexion turned to a light shade of green and excused herself quickly from the room; the woman never did have an iron constitution even for foul smells.

"Is she going to be okay?" Mako watched Asami leave the room.

"She's been queasy all night," Jinora shrugged. "Not everyone is great with dead bodies."

"Fair enough," he cringed as he watched Asami hunch over a trashcan through the set of windows. "Please go on."

"I didn't see any signs of cyanide in the digestive tract because neither of the Kaitos ate something with the poison in it. The delivery method was gas." Jinora revealed.

"You can die from cyanide inhalation…" Mako stroked his chin. "Makes sense I guess, but it's not really my area of expertise."

"The apartment downstairs was fumigated…" Korra locked eyes with Mako. "They probably had all the equipment needed to pump this gas up into the unit above. The poisoners didn't even need to get near the Kaitos or alert them all."

She could see that he shared her concern. This planning…it was well thought through. They were dealing with professionals that had very specific targets in mind. Now she knew they were organized and determined, but that still made their potential for damage positively limitless.

"We need to find that work crew," Korra gave Jinora a nod of approval and hoped that the young doctor understood the depth of her gratitude.

"Come on, let's go," Mako secured his fedora back on with a hand.

The pair jogged upstairs and raced across the city. Mako pulled the red and blue light out of the glove box and stuck it to the roof. A flick of the car's siren had all the traffic in the city parting before them as they rushed to the Upper East Side.

Korra had a bad feeling about all of this. There was no reason that Bo, the downstairs neighbor, shouldn't have called them back with the work order that her husband had at work. That was, unless something had happened. Had the poisoners realized that they had left a critical piece of evidence and returned to wipe out further evidence of a trail? She desperately hoped not, or else they would once again be waiting for another high profile murder before they could pick up the scent.

"You were right," Mako's eyes continually scanned the avenue in front as to navigate through carefully. "About the being reactive thing. I don't like it either."

"But you were right too," she tapped her fingers against her knee impatiently. "We're doing everything that we can."

"That isn't always enough."

"It has to be."

Or Korra had no doubt that they would have more that a couple of bodies to add to the small pile already. It was hard to avoid feeling responsible for every killing they couldn't stop. Then again, they weren't the ones doings the killing, but such rational thoughts didn't often come when one was in the throes of mourning a life you might have been able to save.

Mako hastily parked in the fire lane in front of the Kaito's former apartment building. A few reporters rushed over having stationed themselves on the stoop of the upscale residence. Without hesitation they flung questions in their direction in desperate hope that one of them would utter something to quote for their next broadcast or column.

"Do you have any concrete leads on the killer of the DA?"

No comment on that one.

"Was this a result of a personal vendetta? Was Mrs. Kaito having an affair?"

Korra honestly wondered where some of these pulp reporters came up with this sort of thing.

"What was the cause of death?"

Now this was one that they were holding back. Citing that the cause of death was pertinent to the further course of the investigation (and extra motivation to prevent copy cat killers) the official report held back such details. The lack of information only made the reporters more ravenous for even just tiny morsels of information to sink their teeth into. Keeping the public's attention meant that they needed a constant feed of new things, true or false. When the fountain ran dry, the public's attention would turn away. Korra could only hope that they could mop this up before the papers had something big to talk about for weeks.

As soon as they stepped into the lobby, the doorman shut the door.

"Sorry about that," the young man rubbed the back of his neck. "They're here all night now."

"Hopefully this won't last much longer," Mako turned. "Do you know if the resident in apartment 502 has been around? Bo is her name."

"Like clockwork. Just came back from grocery shopping. I helped her with her bags."

Korra let loose a sigh of relief that her worst fears hadn't been realized.

Their shoes clicked as they walked across the granite floor of the lobby and strode into the caged elevator and punched the button for the fifth floor. Korra rushed out in front of Mako and knocked on the door, her heart pounding in her chest.

The door opened a scant second later, "Oh hello, detectives!"

"Evening, ma'am," Mako tipped his hat. "I didn't get a call from you regarding that work crew."

"Oh my, I forgot! Please come in!" Bo ushered them inside.

The apartment was smaller than the Kaitos' but well decorated in a color scheme of green, crème, and black. Korra couldn't help but notice that most of the furniture pieces were restored antiques of dark wood; it looked more like the type of sitting room that one did more admiring visually than actually  _living_  in.

"I didn't know this all was so important," Bo shuffled through some papers on a nearby side table. "I certainly would have gotten back with you sooner."

Korra held back anger, "It's very important. It's about the Kaitos' upstairs."

"Of course," Bo's cheerful personality seemed impossible to dampen as she handed over the work order. "That's all I have. I hope it helps you two!"

"Thank you," Mako quickly excused them out into the hall.

"This thing looks real," Korra examined the yellow carbon-copied form.

It really would have fooled her had she not already known it was a fake. The handwriting of the reason and time of the fumigation was written neatly and with care. The work was done by some company called "Apartment Infestation Solutions" and had a brief description of the fictitious rat infestation. At the bottom of the page was what she really needed.

"Bingo!" Korra poked the paper, "We have an address!"

"Financial District?" Mako looked at the street listed.

"Looks like it," she grabbed him by the arm, choosing to forget professionalism in her excitement. "We've got a lead."

.

.

"They could have put down a random address," Mako looked up at the ten-story building.

Pedestrians passed them on either side of the densely packed sidewalk. They caught a few irritated glances from people about their business who thought that two people stopped in their walking path was a major inconvenience.

Korra led the way up to the door. Mako could very well be right. But this was all they had and no one could blame her for desperately clinging to it.

The lobby was dimly lit. The building didn't look as if it were fully occupied, the reception desk empty and covered with a sheet of dust. Korra spotted the elevator off to the right and pulled the work order from her pocket again.

"Says Suite 723," she pressed the piece of evidence back into her jacket.

Mako pressed the button for floor seven in the elevator. The machine creaked to life and slowly pulled them upward towards their destination. Mako checked his firearm under his coat and Korra did the same. There were no guarantees. It could be a bust or a grand slam, but it could also turn into a dangerous situation fast.

The elevator dinged dissonantly when they reached the seventh floor. The pair wandered down the quiet corridor. It was plain, blank office space. Korra couldn't think of any feature that distinguished one door from another apart from the unit number plaque of tarnished brass. The suite numbers slowly rose until at last they reached 723.

Korra gave Mako a quick nod of approval.

"Republic City Police," he knocked on the door strongly, the sound of his hand against wood echoed down the empty hallway. "Open up."

There was no answer. Not even a sound came from behind the door.

"Let me try," she elbowed Mako aside. "Police! Open up!"

She couldn't let the trail end here. They couldn't just walk away from this!

Korra huffed and took a step back. "If anyone asks, it was open."

Before Mako could open his mouth to protest, Korra drove her foot into the door. The thing swung open with a sharp crack so hard that it slammed against the wall with a dull thud.

"Korra!"

She ignored his admonishing tone and peered inside.

The room was empty, save three makeshift bedrolls in the far left corner of the room near the window. Korra walked over carefully, noting the quick fire escape access from the room. There was nothing. Not a personal item, not a scrap of paper. She rooted under the blankets to find an insulating layer of old newspapers. Nothing!

"Fuck!" She clenched her fists. "This could have been something big!"

"Hey!" Mako took her by the shoulders and spun her around so they were face to face. "We know there were three people here. That's something."

"But…Mako, come on—"

"It's what we've got," he have her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "It means we're on the right track after all."

She found her gaze getting lost in his eyes. He was so determined to calm her down she couldn't help but nod and take a deep breath. God, she wanted to hug him and tuck her head under his chin. It would be all too easy to fall into him. But she couldn't afford that: not now, not again after everything. Instead, she took a hasty step back and ran a shaky hand through her hair.

"Let's get out of here," she sighed.

Korra still couldn't help but feel as if they were back at square one. But with the Founder's Gala coming up the next night, she had the mundane concern of figuring out what she would wear. Mundane was good now. Mundane would keep her busy until they could move forward.

.

.

**Author Note:** One of the weaker chapters, but things have been a bit weird for me mentally/emotionally. If you're reading on Tumblr and want a message alert when a chapter is posted shoot me an ask. Things really kick off next chapter and I'm very excited to share it with you!


	7. The Way You Look Tonight

**Rating:** M (Violence and Smut)

 **Chapter Word Count:** ~3800

 **Summary:** Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to  _Rhapsody in Red_  and  _Mystery on the Republic City Express_ ] Noir AU

 **Author Note:**  Poop gets real here. Enjoy. This is the halfway point chapter-wise (without the epilogue) for the story.

.

**Chapter 7 – "The Way You Look Tonight**

" _Some day, when I'm awfully low_  
When the world is cold  
I will feel a glow just thinking of you  
And the way you look tonight"

.

Korra leaned over the sink in her bathroom, her fingers fumbling with the clasp at the back of the pearl necklace. She grunted, frustrated that a simple piece of jewelry (one of the only ones that she owned) was giving her so much trouble. Her parents had given it to her years ago, yet it often lay alone in the dark of one of her dresser drawers, not compatible with her everyday wear. She gently placed the necklace to the side of the sink and turned her attention to her own reflection in the mirror. She looked tired, her gaze harsh and critical. As much as she knew that attending the Founder's Gala could help, it didn't  _feel_  productive to her. Regardless of feelings, she needed to be on point tonight.

She picked up the small diamond stud earrings, and pressed them into the half-closed piercings that had closed due to her apathy to wear any of the two or three pairs she owned with any frequency. For most of her day-to-day life, they were a useless accessory and nothing more. But a night like this was an easy motivator. After snapping the backing to the earrings on with minimal pain (she really needed to keep the piercing from closing up any further), she pulled out a tube of lipstick. The shade was a deep red that accented her full lips, yet had the subtlety she liked.

The dress was simple. Black with a diagonal neckline that slung over her left shoulder and a hem that floated at her shin, finished off with a modest pair of heels. She smoothed down the fabric and turned her gaze back to the pearl necklace. Maybe she didn't need it after all. Korra felt down to her thigh and checked the small snub-nosed revolver strapped to her thigh just to be safe if things went south.

A knock on the door signaled Mako's arrival. Korra looked at the piece of jewelry again. Leave it? Or swallow her pride and ask him? It was simple. It would be a kind gesture between colleagues, nothing more.

Korra answered the door, pearl necklace clutched in hand.

"Are you ready?" His eyes didn't quite meet hers. Instead, his gaze drifted somewhere over her shoulder.

It was a strangely warm night; Mako didn't need an overcoat to ward off the cold over his tuxedo. It was a clean look, with the classic silk black stripe running down the pants and a bow tie to pull it all together. How long had he owned a tuxedo?

"Yeah, just about," she took a few steps further into her apartment only to find Mako firmly rooted in the doorway. "You can come in, you know that right?" Korra smirked and rolled her eyes.

"O-Of course," Mako stepped inside and closed the door. "I didn't want to assume."

"Can you help me with this?" She asked almost too quickly after he finished.

Mako nodded and took the delicate necklace out of her hands. "Turn around."

His fingers brushed her short hair out of the way, his skin just grazing hers enough to send an involuntary shiver down her spine. For fuck's sake, she was twenty-nine years old. Such a chaste, innocent touch shouldn't have had her heart rate speeding up like she was a teenager around a crush.

"I uh…" his voice sounded thicker somehow coming over her shoulder as he fumbled with the small clasp, "thought Chief Beifong said for you to wear something…practical?"

"I packed a bag," Korra huffed. "I'll leave it in your car. I can't well stand out like a sore thumb in there."

"Fair enough," he clasped the necklace, his fingers lingering over her neck for just a fraction of a second longer than he should have.

What she would have given to get a read off his face in that moment. Instead she just had to stare into the darkened living room of her apartment waiting until it was okay to turn around.

"Let's get going," he said brusquely. "We can't be late."

Korra reached for the duffle bag with her change of clothing, but Mako's hand reached the handle before hers could.

"I've got it," he picked up the bag.

"Mako, I can get it."

"I know you  _can_ ," he stepped through the doorway and waited for her to do the same. "Just let me do this for you."

"I'm better in heels than I was last time you saw me in them," Korra locked the door then stashed the keys in an outside pocket of the bag. "I can carry something and make it down the stairs at the same time now."

Walking quickly at the pace that bordered a jog in heels was far harder than Asami made it look. On a date with Mako years ago she had tripped and skinned a knee. It was nothing major, but Mako loved to playfully rib her about it.

"We're not going to argue about this," he smiled and led the way down the stairs and out to his waiting Satomobile.

Korra threw her bag in the back and slipped into the front passenger seat. The drive to the Founder's Gala was short. The Republic City Grand was the considered the nicest hotel in the city, and had a nightly rate to match. Tonight a red carpet would be rolled out, leading the powerful players in politics, business, and art in one place to drink and schmooze. According to Asami, the event was practically an ordeal. Before showing up on the red carpet, businesses frequently rented out entire restaurants to broker deals over food and alcohol before making their public appearances.

Mako used his police privilege and parked on the curb just a block away from the event. He rushed around the car and opened her door before she even had a chance to protest, but it wasn't worth it squabble about. He was being far more gentlemanly than she had expected.

"We can go through the employee entrance on the side," Mako pointed to a side door down the side of the building guarded by two uniformed officers.

"Perfect."

She had no want to walk the red carpet; it was just too much. Of course she loved acknowledgement of a job well done as much as the next person, but the unrelenting attention that people who chose to live in the public eye dealt with day after day sounded just about as unappealing as anything she could think of.

The pair flashed their badges to the officers and slipped inside the hotel. Swing music echoed down the hallway from the main ballroom, drawing them towards the crowd. But this wasn't a social calling for them. Korra's eyes continuously scanned the crowd as they made their way inside and settled against the wall for a good vantage point across the room. With the speeches and such yet to start, a dull roar of conversation filled the event space. The ballroom was grand to say the least. Crystal chandeliers shimmered in the tastefully dim lighting as many ate from the free dessert buffet, and drank from the open bar.

"Hang on," Korra motioned for Mako to stay put.

She moved as quickly as she could through the crowd to the bar and ordered two whiskeys, neat before returning with a glass in each hand.

"We're on duty," Mako raised his eyebrows as she handed him a glass.

"Not even officially. Two fingers of whiskey isn't going to hurt," she pushed. It really wouldn't. She knew it would take a lot more to get to either of them. "No one here doesn't have a drink in their hand."

"Korra…" he looked down at the amber liquid.

"For old times' sake," she held up her glass.

Mako clinked his drink against hers and took a small sip and leaned against the wall. Korra couldn't help but let her gaze wander over his pressed tuxedo before forcing her attention back to the crowd.

The event was well protected, at least to her eye. Uniformed officers mulled around the entrances. Korra could count at least five plain-clothed officers in the crowd, and she knew there were likely to be quite a few more hiding in the throngs of attendees. Events like this were nightmares for security. There were too many entrances and exits, and too many people to properly keep an eye on. Everyone was a potential threat.

Mako cleared his throat sheepishly, drawing Korra's attention.

"If we're going to talk about old times…you look great tonight." There was a hint of a blush in his cheeks as he winced, "Not uh, that you don't look great other nights."

Korra brushed her short hair behind her ear, "Thanks."

"The necklace is nice," she could tell he was trying to play it cool. "I haven't seen you wear it in a long time."

"You haven't seen me in a long time," her lips curled into a small, lopsided smirk. Mako was often awkward when it came to this sort of thing…

 _This sort of thing…_ was he flirting with her? Mako? He'd been stone-faced about any feelings, positive or negative, he may or may not have had towards her since they started working together again. Was his stoic façade finally cracking?

He put his drink down on the bussing station table nearby and held an outstretched hand towards her. "Dance with me."

Her cheeks suddenly felt hot. He was flirting with her. But should she accept? It was far too enticing to allow him to whisk her away to the slow ballad that the band sonorously filled the room with. The scars from what they once had still felt fresh, despite the years of distance between them. She was still drawn to the flame that he was, although the feeling of being burned was still so easy to vividly recall.

Korra rolled her eyes. "We're on duty, right?" She threw his words back at him playfully.

His expression softened, and a smile that she could only describe as "loving" graced his features. "For old times' sake."

Her heart fluttered in her throat as she set her whiskey down and slipped her hand into his and led her to the floor at the center of the room. His other hand found her hip, his fingers just barely grazing the fabric of her dress out of politeness. Korra placed her free hand on his shoulder and shot him a reassuring look. He felt it too…the tension, the fear of stepping too far over the line drawn in the sand between them.

Yet here she was, slipping into his gravity. The space between them faded from a polite few inches until their bodies were pressed together. It was too easy to get lost in the music, too easy just to enjoy him being close if only for one short song. It was an indulgence, a dream without consequence that she could sink into until reality crashed down on her again.

"This is nice," Mako mumbled just loud enough for her to hear him over the music.

Korra turned her gaze up to his. "Yeah…yeah it is."

She watched him carefully. He smiled slightly, his eyes drifting down to her lips and then back again up to her eyes. Korra knew this look well. Fuck, he wanted to kiss her…she was one hundred percent certain of it. How many times had she pressed her lips against his in the short time that they dated? She couldn't lie to herself and pretend that she hadn't missed it.

"Korra…I…" he paused, leaning down just slightly enough that his intent was perfectly clear.

"It's okay," she smiled, still a bit unsure herself. Her tongue darted between her lips in anticipation as she tilted her chin up to meet him halfway. She knew it was impulsive but it would feel good if only for a moment—

The music stopped as the song came to an end. The dancers gave a round of polite applause to the band before choosing to stay for another number, or wander off for a fresh drink.

All Korra knew was that when she looked back over to Mako, the moment was gone.

"I-I uhhh…" he couldn't meet her gaze.

She trained her eyes at his shoes, hoping desperately he wouldn't notice her embarrassment. What had she been thinking? What had he been thinking? One moment he's practically emotionless, the next he's blushing and leaning down to kiss her.

"Great dance," she cringed at how fake it sounded.

"You too."

"Korra!"

She whipped around; thankful that someone was rescuing her from the hell she had thrown herself into. Anything was better than this.

"Jinora!" Korra had never been happier to see the young doctor. "Having a good evening? What? No date?"

Jinora rolled her eyes. "If Detective Mako doesn't mind, I think my dad would love to say hi."

"I don't," Mako crossed his arms, his stoic composure reset. "I'll be around the perimeter somewhere. Find me when you're ready."

Korra followed Jinora through the crowd. There were so many familiar faces, but there was one in particular she was keen to avoid. Just a few feet away, Asami, Hiroshi, and the Future Industries CFO, Kale Hibiki, were chatting with a small group of artist types. She knew very well that Hiroshi Sato had every reason to dislike her. He spent years in prison because of her, but frankly, if the decision had been hers, the man would have still been rotting in a cell. But in Republic City, it was apparently unreasonable to assume that it was possible to remove leaders of organized crime for any appropriate measure of time.

Asami was going to be impossible to avoid tonight, but if she could at least stay away from Hiroshi she could avoid the confrontation that would surely follow. There was a time where Korra wouldn't have avoided  _any_  confrontation. But the fact of the matter was that this was neither the time nor place. If Hiroshi Sato was continuing in organized crime, it would catch up to him and he would get his in the end.

"Korra!" Councilman Tenzin practically jumped out of his seat when she approached.

She allowed herself to be pulled into a firm hug by the much taller man. Tenzin was the same. His head was still bald (despite his best efforts she heard), but was made up for by his trimmed moustache and beard that hadn't seemed to have a single hair out of place since the first day he met her.

"It's been quite a while since you dropped by," Tenzin pulled back. "Then again, I realize that we are both busy."

"I promise you're still on my mind," she smiled.

Tenzin was an old friend and mentor. When she first moved to Republic City from the South, Tenzin took her in like a member of his family.

His gaze turned suddenly serious, "Now Jinora…I understand she's working with you on this new case. Please tell me she's safe doing so."

"Unless one of those bodies she works with comes back to life and grabs her…" Korra put her hand on his arm. "You know I would do anything to keep her safe."

"I was counting on that," he smiled warmly. "Now you surely have work to do. Run along, we'll talk later."

"Tenzin…I'm not that young anymore," Korra laughed.

"Oh, I can't help it. Sometimes to me you're still the seventeen year old that ran away to see the big city."

"Well, you sent me back to my parents in the South."

"Just as I would expect you to do for my children. Now, Pema is home ill. Please drop in for dinner one of these evenings."

"I promise," Korra beamed as she waved goodbye and disappeared back into the crowd.

The conversation with Tenzin was enough to distract her from what had happened with Mako. She cringed as it came to mind again. How had she been so stupid? She had allowed herself to be caught up in the moment. At least now they would probably surrounded by many others until it was time for him to drive her home…maybe she could call a cab to avoid the awkward silence that would certainly ensue. But she could only avoid alone time like that for so long; sooner or later the job would force her into it.

"Korra!" Bolin called her name as she reached Mako's wall-side brooding spot.

"Hey!" She hurried over. "I didn't know you would be here."

"Varrick invited me!"

Mako huffed.

Bolin shot him a sharp glance. "What? Varrick says I have such a great face and…" he puffed out his chest, " _vocal poise_  for the advertising business."

"Don't let him pull any wool over your eyes," Mako crossed his arms tensely. "Varrick didn't get rich by being honest."

"Just because I'll be pulling twice your salary if this works out doesn't mean you should get all pouty," Bolin nudged him roughly, eliciting a wince from Mako. "But more importantly," he turned his attention back to Korra and let loose a whistle of approval. "You look beautiful!"

He took her by the hand and gave her a quick twirl. Incidentally, this also earned Bolin a dirty glare from Mako.

"Thanks, Bolin."

"Have you two checked out the food?" Bolin rubbed his tummy. "Oh God, it's all so good. The bonbons…the cheesecake…all so good, you've gotta—"

"There you are!" Asami appeared from the crowd, a glass of red wine cradled delicately between her fingers. "Weren't avoiding me, were you?" Her scarlet dress and matching heels were exactly what she had expected the businesswoman would wear to such an event.

"Well…" Korra winced, "the circumstances are awkward."

"Did I miss anything big?"

Mako and Korra avoided one another's gaze.

The crash of falling glasses saved Korra from another answer. Some idiot in a deep green suit had knocked into a waiter while dancing, scattering a few champagne flutes across the floor.

"Look at what you've done now!" The man ran a hand through his coifed hair and readjusted the cream, silk scarf around his neck. "You've ruined my choreography!"

"Who is that guy?" Mako leaned over towards Asami.

Korra eyed the man's small stature. He was pretty damn hard to miss with the bright gold tie and shoes to match. His hip was thrown to the side with his arms indignantly crossed in front of him. He really should have been the one apologizing in this situation.

"That's Wu," Asami cringed. "But he insists you call him 'Prince' to his face."

"And who exactly is he?" Mako squinted as Wu continued to complain.

"Some trust fund boy. He's got a lot of cash and he's been looking to invest in Republic City. Speaking of investments," Asami raised her eyebrows and took a sip of her wine. "Guess who hammered out a major business deal just before the gala?"

"I'm guessing…you?" Bolin smiled sheepishly.

"She helped."

Korra whipped around to find Kale Hibiki just behind her. Although the man had been an excellent informant on the Red Killer case, she still liked the idea of yanking his chain. He was still a slimy businessman all the same.

"Oh hey, Kale!" Korra sarcastically gushed.

The man hadn't changed a bit…perhaps he had gained an extra pound or two around the middle. His black hair peppered with gray was slicked back nicely, and his moustache was waxed into a small curl as usual.

"Detectives," he gave both Korra and Mako a curt nod before looking at Asami. "Yes, the business deal with Zaofu Steel to develop a new line of diesel engine trains is certainly an accomplishment. You know that Suyin Beifong, the CEO's eldest son Baatar Jr., is engaged to the new DA, right?"

Yes, the huge diamond ring on Kuvira's finger had been hard to miss at their first meeting in Mayor Raiko's office. What she said about everyone needed connections suddenly made more sense now.

Asami didn't hide her anger, "And what do you want, Kale?"

"Your father is looking for you. There is going to be a photo opportunity for  _your_  deal."

She stormed off without another word, her heels clicking against the marble floor.

"Excuse us," Kale smoothed his tuxedo jacket down. "You were all here to watch Asami lose reputation over her sports team sponsors and her general impulsivity at the helm of Future Industries. Mr. Sato has rebuilding that as a primary concern. We all know reputation takes years to build, and a scant moment to tear down. Enjoy your evening," Kale turned and left to follow Asami.

Korra let loose a sigh of relief when Kale stepped away.

"Look, that Wu guy is still going off over there," Bolin chuckled.

He was right. Wu was still arguing with the waiter (more accurately complaining loudly while the waiter shot him a polite nod every now and then). Suddenly, Wu clutched his stomach, his body tensing as he dropped to his knees on the floor.

"What a drama queen," Bolin said in a singsong voice.

But something seemed off. Korra took a few steps forward into the shocked crowd. The man was visibly shaking. His eyes were screwed shut like he was in immense pain.

"Mako…" Korra looked at him over her shoulder, "I don't think he's faking it."

Wu fell to the ground, his body convulsing involuntarily. Foamy vomit dribbled out of the corner of his mouth as he flailed and gasped in misery.

Korra rushed over and held Wu's head. The last thing they needed was him to give himself a concussion, or worse.

Jinora and Tenzin broke through the crowd.

"Tenzin!" Korra yelled. "Call for an ambulance."

Jinora dropped down by Wu's side. "Dad, call for more than one."

The crowd gasped in horror as another person fell to the ground.

"They've been poisoned," Jinora looked over to Korra, her features panicked. "We don't know how many people in here are about to get sick."

.

.

 **Author Note:**  The chapter split was supposed to be later but this chapter ended up being a lot longer. But I think it fits better next chapter. Until next time!


	8. Crazy He Calls Me

**Rating:** M (Violence and Smut)

 **Chapter Word Count:** ~4700

 **Summary:** Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to  _Rhapsody in Red_  and  _Mystery on the Republic City Express_ ] Noir AU

 **Author Note:**  Longest chapter yet. Hope you enjoy.

.

**Chapter 8 – "Crazy He Calls Me"**

" _Like the wind that shakes the bough_  
He moves me with a smile  
The difficult I'll do right now  
The impossible will take a little while  
I say I'll care forever  
And I mean forever"

.

"They've been poisoned," Jinora looked over to Korra, her features panicked. "We don't know how many people in here are about to get sick."

Korra's thoughts were running a hundred miles an hour. She found the presence of mind to take a deep breath and settle emotionally. She had always been good in high-stress situations. She was good at muddling through action with no clear end that needed solving. At some level, she liked it; the detective profession wouldn't be a good for anyone that didn't.

"Do you have any idea what or where the poison is?" Korra spoke quickly, her voice calm but with an urgent edge.

Jinora swallowed. "I-It might be arsenic," she was trying to hold it together but her speech waivered.

"From where?" Korra tried to hold at least part of her attention as the young doctor handled Wu.

"It had to have been the food."

"Good. Jinora," she snapped her fingers to make Jinora meet her eyes. "Take care of as many people as you can, and get those ambulances helping. Do not leave this building. Got it?"

Jinora nodded mutely.

Korra had to hope that their quickness on this matter could save lives. They weren't too far from the hospital at the Republic City Grand. Police officers had some rudimentary training, and had begun to step in and help as much as they could as more and more guests started to drop to the floor, sickness crashing over them like a violent wave. Some just vomited on the ground where they fell, others were wracked with shaking that required at least two to quell the involuntary movements.

She stood slowly as chaos unfolded around them. Mako was immediately at her side. There wasn't a need for words here; they both began to desperately scan the room for their next step. They could only stay paralyzed for so long before they were contributors to the problem instead of to the solution.

Bolin caught her attention. He looked around rapidly, unsure of what to do or if he should even attempt to help. She didn't even have enough time to process relief that he wasn't ill.

Korra rushed over, grabbing him by the collar so suddenly that he flinched. "What didn't you eat? You're fine!"

"I-I…" Bolin stammered, his eyes darting around to anything but her as he thought. "I ate literally everything…e-except…"

"Except?"

Mako's hand on her shoulder brought her presence of mind back. She let go of her grip on his rented tux and moved her hands to his shoulders, still trying to keep his attention. It would be too easy to get worked up; good thing she had Mako to have her back.

"Bolin, think! Except  _what_!" Mako chimed in.

"E-Except the pie."

A few partygoers bumped into the trio. The situation in the ballroom was bordering on panic. It didn't seem like many more were dropping, but those who were well were searching for exits. When it came to fight or flight, more people were looking for a way out. The uniformed officers were doing their job. They were doing their best to help those who had fallen ill and tried to keep the place from burning itself to the ground.

Mako and Korra locked eyes.

"Kitchen," Mako pointed to the set of double doors at the back of the room.

Korra didn't need to tell him to lead the way. She stuck close behind him as me moved through the thinning crowd. The worst thing about the ballroom now was the sounds of the ill. Some of them were able to weakly moan for attention as someone held them, hoping that the medical attention Tenzin had called for was growing close. But Korra didn't have time to think about this. There would be time to grieve later, but if she and Mako didn't act quickly with singular focus, this could happen again.

The pair burst through the free-swinging metal doors into the kitchen. The stainless steel countertops were covered with food mid-preparation, as if many of the cooks had just stopped and run out when people started to fall ill. She made a mental note that she would probably need some extra detective hands to help them track down everyone in the kitchen that night and gather statements.

Mako tapped her shoulder pointed and to the corner.

A man dressed in white was curled up in a ball. Judging by the very distinctive garb, Korra could only reasonably guess that he was the head chef. His head was drawn to his knees, face hidden.

"Um, excuse me?" Mako cleared his throat.

The chef didn't move.

Korra pulled the small revolver on her thigh out from the holster and gave Mako a nod to proceed closer to the man. An abundance of caution couldn't hurt them in this situation.

"Sir…" Mako placed his hand on the chef's shoulder.

The man's head shot up. His eyes were red, his face covered in tears. He was an utter wreck.

"What's your name?"

He sniffled, "…Kenta."

"I need you to answer some questions, can you do that?"

The chef stared at Mako blankly. Often your average person wasn't equipped to deal with the stress of missing the bus; having a number of people fall ill and become casualties because of something you may have made (purposefully or not) was something very out of the ordinary. Kenta didn't seem like the mastermind behind this.

Mako crouched down next to him, the tails of his tuxedo brushing against the tiled floor. He gave Kenta a gentle shake, "The pie. Did you make the pie?"

Kenta nodded. "W-We always make everything in-house b-but…"

"But what?" Mako urged.

"We u-usually make the dough…from scratch…" Kenta took a breath so deep that he shuddered. "But the hotel…they said…there was s-some delivered to save us time s-so we used it." He pointed to an industrial refrigerator.

Korra opened the door to the unit. Sure enough, inside was a bag tied off at the top.

"Careful with that," Mako cautioned.

"I got it. I'm not going to eat any…I'm probably safe." She picked up the bag and moved it to the nearby countertop. "Kenta, where did the shipment come from?"

Kenta pointed to a receipt pinned to a bulletin board.

Mako quickly stood and ripped the piece of paper off of the wall. "It's got an address." He leaned in close to Korra, "Do you think this guy is going to be okay?"

"The uniformed cops will find him when they sweep. We've gotta get going." She grabbed the bag of dough.

They had a lead. Korra's heart pounded in her chest as they ran back into the ballroom. Medical personnel had seemed to have just arrived and were busy loading the ill onto stretchers. Maybe if Jinora was right about arsenic being the cause of the sickness, lives could be saved. The EMTs dressed in white were doing their best, but it was clear that this was a bigger disaster than they were trained to deal with.

"Jinora!" Korra yelled and ran over to her position in the middle of the room.

Jinora turned around startled and nudged the man next to her.

"Kai?" Korra watched the young man stand up. "What are you doing here?"

"It's kind of hard to miss this big sort of trouble," he shrugged. "Heard about it and figured you'd be in the center of it all."

She thrust the bag of dough into Jinora's arms. "Get back to your lab and test this for arsenic or whatever else you think it could be." She pressed a finger into Kai's chest, "And you make sure she gets there safely. Find Asami too…she might help with the testing but she might be gone or ill for all we know…"

Jinora looked at the bag in her hands, "Is this what you think the poison is in because—"

"We don't have time," Korra's eyes flicked to Mako. "Test it. We'll be in touch."

.

.

"Could you take the corners any faster?" Korra grunted from the backseat as she gripped on to the front bench seat of Mako's car to keep her from careening onto her side as she struggled to pull on a pair of pants.

Mako shot her a quick glare in the rearview mirror.

"You're lucky I already have my shirt on…" she grumbled, reaching to shuffle through her duffle bag for her shoes. "Are we to the warehouse yet?"

"I think so…if I've got this right."

Korra righted herself on the seat and leaned down to pull her boots on before strapping the small revolver she had carried at the gala to her ankle. Thank goodness she wasn't going to have to run through the warehouse district in that dress. Instead she wore a simple pair of black pants and a gray long sleeve shirt. She pulled her gray trench coat and Varrick 1911 pistol from the bag, and slung the worn, leather shoulder holster over her body.

Mako brought the Satomobile to a halt. "This should be the place."

She stepped out of the back seat and pulled her jacket on. The warehouse stood alone against the gray, evening fog. Yellow light glowed through the haze from the portion of the city across the western prong of Yue Bay. The Silk Road Bridge loomed over them taller than any building in the vicinity. The under lighting and soft white glow of lights that ran along the strung suspension cables stood tall. Only a dim rumble of Satomobiles travelling across the strait could be heard in the silent, isolated area.

Korra couldn't see another soul. The building itself was unremarkable. It was square and dull; it was the sort of thing that wasn't worth a second look or thought in one's daily dealings.

Mako tossed his tux jacket back in the car and removed his cufflinks before rolling the crisp, white sleeves up his defined forearms. He removed his bowtie and opened his shirt a few buttons. He adjusted the black suspenders that stood out starkly against the tux shirt so they were just a hair looser.

"Looks deserted," Korra remarked.

He squinted his eyes as he surveyed the warehouse. "There," he pointed.

A single sliver of light peeked out from behind the closed, warehouse side entrance.

She poised her hand over her sidearm. "Let's go."

They crept closer, careful to keep their footfalls light on the half asphalt, half gravel driveway. From about twenty yards out, Korra noticed a marked change. She could hear the sound of a crowd inside. A few cheers (dulled by distance and the mostly closed doors) reached her ears. Korra reached the side of the building and moved slowly against the wall.

"Hey, you!" A figure dressed in black from head to toe stood from next to the door.

Korra hadn't noticed him in the shadows. Her grip on her pistol tightened, her muscles tensing, ready to fight at the first sign of marked danger. The guy was huge. His hair was cut close to his had a small beard.

"Yeah?" Mako put a hand on her back, steadying her.

"This thing ain't free you know. Five yuans for cover. And aren't you a bit overdressed, pretty boy?"

"Cover for what?" He replied, ignoring the jab at his formal wear.

Mako squeezed her bicep, and she took that as a signal to release her weapon. She took a deep breath, standing further upright.

"You don't gotta play dumb," the man crossed his arms, clearly unamused. "That'll be ten yuans for the both of you."

Mako didn't budge an inch.

Korra groaned and reached into her coat. She fished through a couple of pockets unsuccessfully before pulling a crumpled ten-yuan bill out. "You owe me," she grumbled.

"Enjoy, you two." He pulled the door open.

Inside a large crowd was gathered in a circle. They cheered and hollered, yuans clutched in their fists. The throng of people parted for a moment, offering them a peek in. Two shirtless men were going at it as they threw fists and kicks at one another. The smaller of the two men had an open cut on his forehead; blood dripped down his face

"It's a bareknuckle fighting ring?" Mako scratched his neck. "What the heck does this have to do with our case?"

"Let's figure out who's running this thing then maybe we will," Korra scanned the room.

"Look at that guy," he nudged her to look to the left of the crowd.

The guy was probably about Mako's height. From this distance she could already tell that his hair was slicked back with so much grease he was probably a fire hazard. His navy blue suit was ruined with obnoxiously thick white pinstripes that made him look cartoonish. The man slowly counted through a stack of yuans as thick as a closed fist.

"He's a good bet," she nodded. "Lead the way, Cool Guy."

Mako's dress shoes clicked against the unfinished concrete floor as he walked across the large room. "Hey. Who owns this place?"

The man smiled, revealing a silver tooth at the front of his grin. He looked up slowly and deliberately from his stack of yuans, "Who wants to know? Cops?"

"Us. We're people who have no interest in shutting down your little operation here," Mako was diplomatic.

"Little?  _Little_?" He shook the stack of money, "This doesn't look little to me."

"Part of me thinks you've got no connection to this warehouse or its owner anyway. You're not going to hurt yourself by helping us out."

"What's in it for me?" Light glinted off the man's silver tooth as the crowd roared in the background. "Hmm…" his gaze turned to Korra, his eyes dragged up and down her body. "I got an idea. One of my girls backed out for the next fight but I already collected the bets. You look fit enough to take a hit or two. Fight, and I'll give ya whatever information you want about who owns this warehouse."

"Are you kidding?" Mako put a hand on Korra's shoulder. "This is ridiculous and crazy, there's no way—"

"I'll do it," Korra cut him off.

"Korra…" he pulled her gently by the arm to the side. "We can just go to the city records office in the morning as soon as they open," his forehead was creased in concern. "You don't have to do this."

"I mean, you never know," the bet taker shoved his hands into his pockets. "This place could be burned down or somethin' by morning."

"We might get lost in all the paperwork and hit a dead end," Korra pulled off coat and shoulder holster before pulling her gray long sleeve shirt over her head, revealing a black tank top before kicking off her shoes and socks. "Who's going to die next?" She held her shirt out for him to take.

"Hopefully not you," Mako winced, taking her personal effects. "I know you're strong, but…do you know what you're doing? You're crazy!"

"I'll be fine," she turned to walk over to the throng of people.

His hand reached and grabbed her bicep, stopping her.

Mako opened his mouth to speak. He paused seemingly unsure what to say, squeezing her bicep. "Please, be careful."

She could tell from his eyes that he wanted to say more. But there was already so much left unsaid between them that an extra sentence was almost nothing between them now. She knew that he cared. For now, that was more than enough. There would be time to talk later; perhaps it was time to stop delaying the inevitable, square up, and tackle what was between them head on.

Korra gave his hand a squeeze and his grip slackened allowing her to step away and follow the bet taker.

"What did you say your name was?"

The man grinned, "I didn't. And by the way, it's better for my take-home pay if you win."

"Rules?"

"One round, untimed. Knockout or a yield will get you a win. If you throw the match you get no info, so put a little bit of effort into it. I'll be able to tell real easy."

The crowd parted allowing the two of them into the ring. Korra caught Mako's gaze (who had pushed through the throng of people to the front just behind her opponent). He gave her an encouraging nod and a concerned smile.

"Are you going to give me Vaseline or something for my face?" Korra had to speak up over the excitedly chatting crowd. Boxers did this, it kept glancing blows from the face from opening up into cuts.

"Nah," the man laughed almost cruelly. "We like to see 'em bleed here."

He took his place in the middle of the makeshift ring. "Alright folks! Got your ladies fight of the night! Are you ready?"

The crowd roared.

"Fight!"

Korra threw her fists up eyed her opponent up and down. The woman had light skin and chestnut brown hair tied back behind her head. From the looks of it she was probably an inch or two taller than Korra. She stood upright and square, her fists here close to her face. Her left hand was just slightly ahead; she was right handed. Korra was familiar with this stance. It was the hallmark of boxers. Without threat of takedowns or kicks in the actual ring, they stood so that they could best leverage their fists.

Korra had trained in martial arts since she was old enough to walk. Fighting hand-to-hand in the South was a bit different; a unique kickboxing style was  _the_  fighting way thing to train and watch. So Korra's stance was different. She stood more angled, her lead leg light and weight pushed back, ready to block any kicks that might be thrown and spin to launch her own. She kept her chin tucked and held her right fist close to her face while her left was up and out farther than the norm of Republic City boxers. She was ready to bait strikes and occupy her opponent with her lead hand to open up the opportunity for a strong right cross or hook where it really hurt.

The fighter moved in, focused and in for blood.

Cries and taunts from the crowd faded away as Korra's vision narrowed to the boxer and blood pounded in her ears. Some people fought like this for money, some fought to feel alive, and some fought because it was all that they had. Going up against a desperate opponent was always dangerous; fighting someone without anything to lose was rolling a pair of loaded dice.

Her opponent made the first move. It was a quick jab just to test the waters that Korra easily parried. Korra jabbed twice before throwing a quick one-two jab cross combo. Her fist met the fighter's cheek before she could lean back to avoid the blow. She reeled back and quickly fell back into her fighting stance.

Emboldened, Korra stepped forward diagonally to the left, her foot planted at a forty-five degree angle. She kept her fists up as she turned, whipping her right leg around like a baseball bat. Her shin connected with the fighter's lead thigh with great force, causing her to stumble.

The fighter looked up, eyes blazing with anger. She came at Korra hard with a flurry of punches. She tried to keep her distance, parrying as many as possible and staying light as she waited for her burst of energy to fade. But luck wasn't on her side; a jab caught her right in the nose and a hook caught her right in the ribs.

Her vision flashed white for a second as she threw a pushing front kick at the fighter, hitting her square in the chest and pushing her back. Korra dabbed at her nose with the back of her hand smearing blood across her skin. Blood dripped down from her nose freely; it didn't feel broken though luckily enough. She had to grit her teeth and bear it; a bloody nose wasn't worth stopping now.

Korra threw herself into an offensive mode. She kept her right arm tight and close, trying to protect her nose from another hit. When the fighter threw a jab, Korra saw her opening. She ducked, shooting in close and catching her in a clinch. Her hands gripped tightly around the back of the fighter's neck holding her posture down and close to hers as her opponent threw weak punches at her sides. Korra held her breath and drove her knee up into her ribs. She threw another knee with her other leg with a more vertical trajectory, hitting her square in the stomach.

The woman grunted in pain, desperately reaching up to try to throw a punch at Korra's ears.

It was an opportunity to transition. Korra ducked lower, releasing the fighter's head and grabbing one arm in the process. She brought her arms down as she lowered her stance and wrapped her arms around the woman, trapping one arm against her side. She held her close so that there was virtually no space between them, her head pressed up against the combatant's side. The fighter became desperate, throwing a hard elbow that connected with a resounding crack on the crown of Korra's head.

Korra adjusted, bending the fighter's posture back before spinning and throwing her to the ground while staying tightly connected. Korra came up on top, her knee landing squarely on her opponent's sternum. She slid her knee to the ground, mounting her high so her knees were in the fighter's armpits.

Her opponent was powerless as she rained punches down on her face. She flailed with her legs and tried to cover her face the best that she could, but Korra kept her weight heavily and well distributed.

"Stop!" The woman yelled.

The bet taker was close in a flash, pulling Korra off and raising her arm up into the air. "We have a winner!"

The red haze that narrowed her vision instinctively slowly cleared. Korra snuck a glace over her shoulder as the fighter slowly got to her feet.

Mako was at her side in an instant. Her vision began to swim and blur at the edges. Maybe that last elbow had been harder than she thought.

"Are you okay?" He pressed her shirt into her hand and encouraged her to use it to stop her still bleeding noise.

She nodded quickly before turning to the bet taker. "Your end of the deal," Korra wiped away some of the blood from her face with her arm. "Who owns this warehouse?'

"Zaofu Steel," the man pulled out his stack of yuans. "Thanks for the fight. If you ever wanna go again, I figure you can find me."

"Alright, listen up!" Mako yelled. "Republic City PD. Get out of here and none of you will be arrested."

The crowd remained frozen in place.

"You think I'm kidding? Get out of here!"

The onlookers grabbed their things and began to disperse.

"I'm just going to sit…" Korra lowered herself to the ground with Mako's help.

Her head felt woozy. She swallowed, trying to push down the nausea while her ears rung.

"What can I say? You really came alive in that round. You're a natural." Mako knelt by her side. "Will you be okay here for a second? I need to call this in."

"I'll be fine," she slumped over. "Just make it fast okay?"

.

.

"You should have let me take you to the hospital."

"Yeah well…" Korra leaned heavily against the door of the car. "Just take me home."

"You're joking, right?" Mako looked over. "You're not spending tonight alone. I'm taking you to my place."

If she was going to be completely honest with herself, she was a mess. The quick glance she caught of her own reflection as she slid into the car was indicative enough. Streaks of dried blood ran from her nose downward on to her tank top and a bit of blood had begun to pool beneath her left eye. She didn't remember being hit there.

Sometimes she was so fiercely independent she had to take a deep breath and remind herself that it was okay to lean on others. Accepting help and allowing someone else to carry some of the weight for a bit wasn't weakness. There was strength in realizing when you can't handle what you've been dealt.

Mako had called in the warehouse. The place was crawling with police officers tasked with searching the place from top to bottom, from dusty corner to corner. By morning they would have new information and a new place to start. They would know how many had died in the Gala poisoning. And, if they were lucky, Jinora would have a conclusive answer on the poison to blame. But for now, they needed to wait. Beifong needed them ready to hit the case with full energy in the morning.

The rest of the drive was short. Mako grabbed her duffle bag that held her gun and dress, and lead the way to the locked stairwell.

"Let me help you," he tried to sling her arm over his shoulder but she shrugged him off.

"I've got it," she looked him in the eye. "No really, I've got this."

"Okay…"

She ambled up the stairs a few paces ahead of him and stepped aside for him to unlock the door. She headed straight for the bathroom on the right of the entry hallway and sat on the edge of the tub.

"It's not broken, is it?" Mako rolled up his sleeves and ran a washcloth under the tap.

"No," she stared at the black and white tile. "I know what that feels like."

"I remember. The Red Killer busted up your nose."

The part that remained unsaid was how he had asked her out on their first date, and he had been so hasty to kiss her at the door he had bumped her still-broken nose forcefully. Korra couldn't help but be fond of the memory. It was from a happier, simpler time between them. She longed for that. But it meant breaching a discussion of what had happened. Was she willing to take the risk?

He squeezed the excess water out and crouched down in front of her. "I promise I'll be gentle." He put a hand on her chin to steady her and began to slowly wipe off the dried blood from her chin and lips.

Maybe it was time. She was always one to take risks. Sometimes they were measured; sometimes they were "crazy." Maybe it was time to take a leap. Maybe she had finally reached her breaking point in keeping this whole conflict locked away.

"Mako…?" Her voice was muffled as he continued to wipe her face off.

He flinched back, "Did I hurt you?"

"No," Korra put a hand on his arm. "Look…about three years ago."

.

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 **Author Note:** Reminder that if you're on Tumblr and never want to miss a chapter, send me an ask and I'll message you every time a new chapter is out.


	9. You Go to My Head

**Rating:** M (Violence and Smut)

**Chapter Word Count:** ~5700

**Summary:** Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to  _Rhapsody in Red_  and  _Mystery on the Republic City Express_ ] Noir AU

**Author Note:**  Took a long time. Sorry! Chapter feels weaker because of the long span of time it was worked on. Sorry about that, wanted to get it out to all of you and it's extra long as a result.

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**Chapter 9 – "You Go to My Head"**

" _The thrill of the thought_

_That you might give a thought to my plea_

_Casts a spell over me_

_Still I say to myself "Get a hold of yourself"_

_Can't you see that it never can be?"_

.

"Mako…?" Her voice was muffled as he continued to wipe her face off.

He flinched back, "Did I hurt you?"

"No," Korra put a hand on his arm. "Look…about three years ago."

"Korra…" he smiled just slightly. "We don't need to talk about this now. We have time—"

"You don't know that." She swallowed, "I don't mean like a 'one of us might die scenario,' I mean that we just don't know what's going to happen."

She had spent enough time running away from this. It had become a personal demon that instead of facing, she chose to ignore. But she was chained to this, weighed down by her own avoidance and unwillingness to confront what had actually happened. It was easy believing her own sequence of events; it meant that she hadn't been wrong in holding a grudge the past three years. Confronting the truth was often difficult when it meant challenging the reality that you know. Instead of letting the weight of what was between them yank her down and around by the chain, it was time to break free and bring it all into the light.

"It all just got so fucked up…" Mako leaned back and sat on the floor, his chin tilted slightly upward so he could meet her eyes as she slouched on the edge of the tub.

"I-I…" Korra swallowed, "I don't know how I expected it to go any other way."

.

_Korra stormed into the precinct. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides, shaking with anger as she took the stairs up to the Homicide Department. Part of her knew she shouldn't act so impulsively, but the prevailing rage within her propelled her into the bullpen. The room was a mess of desks pushed into three or four desk islands for the detectives still scrambling up the pay ladder until they could have an office of their own. But Korra didn't heed any attention to the other detectives scattered about, answering phones or filling out paperwork._

_She walked slowly up to Mako's desk, his attention buried in paperwork. Her heavy footfalls alerted him to her presence and he looked up quickly. "Hey, Korra. I—"_

" _You ratted me out to Chief Beifong?"_

_Mako's eyes darted quickly around the room behind her as the quiet mumblings, chatter, and work faded quickly into silence, all attention on them._

" _Korra," his voice was calm, "let me explain."_

" _Yeah, explain," she crossed her arms. "Explain why my boyfriend and former partner stabbed me in the back? This is gonna be good," she snarled._

" _Don't you want to take this somewhere else?"_

_She took his placid demeanor as mocking. How dare he? Did he not realize the gravity of this whole situation?_

" _No, we're doing this here and now."_

" _Fine," he breathed out sharply, punctuating the silence between them before starting to speak again. "The Chief of the Republic City Police Force asked me a direct question. What was I supposed to do?"_

_She slammed her left hand into his desk with such force it rattled his neatly organized office supplies. "You betrayed me!" Rage was clouding her vision and she blindly pushed at a neat stack of paperwork, sending the sheets scattering across the floor._

" _Enough!" Mako jumped to his feet so quickly his chair fell backwards with a clatter. "I have a job to do. I can't keep worrying about keeping you from making a huge mistake!"_

" _Huge mistake?" She crowded as close to him as the desk would allow. "This Triad bust was going to make history! It was going to split the underbelly of this city wide open! Well, I have a job to do too in the Vice Department, and it seems like you're standing in the way of me getting it done!"_

" _Bust? Fuck, Korra…the whole thing was as fucking illegal as it could get!" Mako pinched the bridge of his nose. "No warrants, illegal seizures of property…you can't fucking do your work like that! Not to mention you probably would have started a full out gang war. The Triads would have been shooting each other in broad daylight on the streets if you went through with this stupid plan!"_

" _Well guess what?" Korra yelled, "I put my job and this city first!"_

" _Well, I guess if we're both putting our_ _jobs_ _first, maybe there's no room for our relationship!"_

_Korra froze. The blood in her veins turned to an icy slurry in an instant. Was…was he breaking up with her? The thought that this argument could turn to this hadn't even crossed her mind. Why was he doing this to her? She was supposed to be able to trust him with her life. But she knew he was chasing a promotion. He had ambitions to do more good in the city. She knew he valued his job, but not this much._

" _So…what? Are you breaking up with me?" She couldn't hide the insecurity that dominated her expression._

" _Yeah…" he frowned and looked down. "I guess I am."_

" _Fine," she snapped, tears welling at the corners of her eyes. She'd rather been seen as furious than as a sobbing mess. "Have fun stepping on more faces as you climb the ladder."_

_Korra didn't turn back as she stormed out, but she knew that he must have stayed rooted in place. He hadn't cared enough to chase after her, and that hurt almost more than anything_.

.

"I had a month of paid suspension to think about it," Korra looked down at her hands in her lap. "I think it was only paid because the Chief felt bad for me."

Mako reached over and took one of her hands in his. "I never did get why you said, 'Have fun climbing the ladder,' or something like that."

"You…really don't?" She looked up.

"Yeah…that's why I'm asking."

Korra took a deep breath, "You ratted on me so you could keep climbing for promotions. You got the Deputy Director of the Homicide Department shortly after and everyone knows that you're going to be the director when what's-his-face with the horrible comb over retires."

"That's not why I did it," he shook his head. "I did it because what you were doing was illegal and was going to have horrible consequences."

She had missed all of that at the heat of the moment. What she had been doing seemed right at the time; otherwise it wouldn't have been her path. The gangs of Republic City were tricky. They had their own lawyers and understood the law just as well as any enforcer of it. They knew where they could flirt with the edge of lawlessness, when and what to say to buy time (often to move product), and when it was better to kill someone in custody because they were in danger of revealing secrets. The police and gangs were in a constant evolving battle. As one developed new methods and pushed the other on to the ropes, adaptation would level the playing field again.

Korra found it increasingly impossible to get the jump on any major drug deals. It was easy to bust the low level dealers, but those were small victories as the gangs had a new man on the street peddling their goods. You had to strike higher in the food chain of these distribution rings, closer to the heart. Of course, this was much easier said than done. For the most part, Korra toed the line, stepping over when she saw that it was needed. But an illegal search here and there turned into an unstoppable pattern of willful ignorance on her part.

"I know…" she slumped.

"I'm sorry…"

"Why are you sorry? I'm the one who fucked up. I'm sorry I put you in that position."

Mako's support wasn't a free pass. He cared enough about her to say something he knew she wouldn't like and do the difficult things when they were in difficult situations. Sometimes you have to disagree with ones that you care about; she had been naïve to think that just because they loved each other that it meant that she received his unconditional support in all matters automatically.

"It's okay…" he gave her hand a squeeze and smiled just slightly. "I'm glad we could talk about this…"

He looked like he wanted to say more, but Korra wasn't ready. There was too much going on right now to think about  _them_ , especially with wooziness and exhaustion setting in.

Mako must have noticed her eyelids drooping with tiredness. "Why don't you get some sleep?"

"But the case and Jinora—"

He slung one of her arms around his shoulder and helped her stand. "I'll make a call to her office," he walked her to his bedroom. "I'll take the couch tonight."

"Mako—"

"Come on," he pulled back the covers and she crawled in. "Get some sleep."

He flicked off the light and closed the door gently. Korra pulled the blankets tightly around her. She had such fond memories of this bed and this room. Passionate nights and lazy mornings here were great bookends to any day. But sleep found her quickly, and the last thought that passed through her mind wasn't the case; it was how wonderful it was to be wrapped up in Mako's familiar scent that went straight to her head.

.

.

Korra awoke disoriented, her legs tangled in the sheets. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to banish the grogginess as quickly as possible. She sat up on her elbows and squeezed her eyes shut, as the pain of a severe headache washed over her as if a cold bucket of water had been dumped suddenly on her head. The events of the previous night came back to her quickly, and with that came the urgency of their case. She flung the sheets away and quickly got to her feet, doing the best she could to ignore the throbbing emanating from behind her eyes.

"Korra?" Mako's voice cut through the small crack of the slightly ajar door. "Can I come in?"

He must have slept on the couch. She knew how lumpy and hard that thing was; he always refused to buy a new one, citing that the current one was "functional," if only barely.

"Yeah," she rubbed at her brow, trying fruitlessly to rid herself of the headache.

"I brought aspirin," he handed her a glass of water and a white pill. "Holy shit…" he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "you've got a big shiner there." He was wearing a clean set of clothing, a gray suit with a black shirt and no tie. He must have snuck in quickly to grab a shirt and pants while she was sleeping.

She swallowed the pill quickly and downed the glass of water in a few gulps. "What about—"

"The case? We're due at a meeting down at central station."

"When?"

"When you woke up."

Korra gritted her teeth. "You should have set me an alarm or something."

"You needed the rest," his expression softened. "Now get dressed and let's go if you're so eager and ready."

"Dressed?" Korra looked down at her wrinkled pants and undershirt. Her dress shirt had been ruined last night when Mako encouraged her to use it to stop her bleeding nose. "This is all I've got."

"There's at least a set of clothing of yours in that bottom drawer," he pointed to the dresser against the wall. "I'll let you change," he said curtly and pulled the door closed.

He had kept her clothing here. He could have thrown it in the dumpster out back or burned them in a vindictive act of cleansing. Admittedly she had thrown away anything that was his (or reminded him of her) almost immediately after their breakup. Yet, all this time, there had been a part of her, a remnant of their relationship, hidden away in his bedroom.

There they were; a set of black dress pants and white dress shirt, with a matching set of underwear and bra. They were neatly tucked away in the otherwise empty drawer. Korra picked them up carefully. The garments were ironed and folded with great care. Despite the faded smell of cedar from their long residence tucked away from light and fresh air, the set was exactly what she needed.

Korra dressed quickly and collected her gun and badge that Mako had left on the nightstand before leaving the bedroom.

"Ready?" She pulled on her gray coat and fedora from over the arm of the couch.

"Ready."

Mako used his siren and deployable light to ease the commute to the station. Korra closed her eyes and slumped down so her head could rest against the low leather of the bench seat, content to imagine the traffic parting for them. Something told her that they had hit the tipping point in this case. They had hit the crest of the hill, making the rest of the journey a wild, downhill chase.

They didn't talk as Mako parked illegally in front of the station, the parking attendant giving them an approving nod that he would overlook it. The whole city had to know what happened by now. The newspapers were undoubtedly covered in headlines about the mass poisoning while they reached for details about fatalities and the suspects. Korra knew they wouldn't find much, especially considering that she and Mako barely had the whiff of the poisoners.

Mako hurriedly led her up the stairs into the Chief's conference room.

"It's about time," Lin Beifong crossed her arms at the far end of the table. She looked at her black eye, "What the hell happened to you?"

" _Someone_  wouldn't wake me up," Korra grouched. "And I got this black eye furthering the case. That's all you need to know." She slid into one of the two unoccupied chairs around the circular table of dark, polished wood.

Everyone who had touched the case was here. Vice Chief Saikhan sat next to Lin, his fingers impatiently tapping on the table. On Mako's side, Jinora and Asami poured over pages and pages in front of them. The calmest person in the room was Kuvira, who sat upright and rigidly as she waited for the meeting to begin.

"Well…" Lin pushed forward a stack of newspapers. "This Gala incident is all the city is talking about."

"Even the well known music radio stations are interjecting with news," Saikhan frowned.

"Luckily, people seem to see this as a targeted incident," Lin spoke. "Last thing we need is a city panicking about its food or water supply. We would have an even bigger disaster on our hands than we already do. So go, fill me in. What do we know?"

"Jinora and I talked on the phone late last night," Mako looked over to her. "Have you and Asami figured out exactly what this poison is and how the hell it got into the Gala?"

Jinora nodded excitedly. "Asami and I were able to test the dough that was collected. Asami developed a fantastic test."

Asami smiled, "Well I wouldn't have known what compounds to test for without Jinora—"

"Enough," Lin cut in sharply. "Results. What were the results?"

"Right, of course," Jinora adjusted her glasses. "The poison was white arsenic. It was mixed into the dough used for the pie. I will be able to further confirm through autopsy of the fatalities. I'll see deposits in the stomach and the arsenic will show up if we test minced tissue samples. Whoever did it was good…"

"How can you tell?" Korra leaned forward.

"Well if you mix too much in, people taste that the food is off somehow and don't eat enough. Mix too little and no one tastes it and no one gets poisoned."

"Well shit," Saikhan threw his arms up in the air. "Arsenic is easy to get. Drugstores, dyes…"

"We know the dough came through a warehouse owned by Zaofu Steel," Mako added in. "But it didn't look like the place that had the facilities to actually  _make_  it. The source is somewhere else and Zaofu Steel has to be the link."

Lin looked down deep in thought. This connection to the case made for a potential conflict of interested with the chief. Considering that her sister, Suyin Beifong, was the founder and owner of the large private company. Perhaps with a different chief this would have been a piece of evidence ignored, but Korra had complete faith in Lin Beifong's drive to relentlessly pursue the truth.

"Investigate them," Lin addressed Mako and Korra.

Korra knew there was much left unsaid there. It was pretty obvious that Lin didn't have much contact with her sister. It never seemed like Lin had much of a life outside of her job at the police department in any area. But the chief wasn't one for gushing personal details at work. Korra couldn't help but be curious about what had happened between the two, it was in her nature as a detective. Perhaps CEO Suyin Beifong would be more open.

"What about the Red Monsoons?" Saikhan asked. "They're the ones driving the poison industry."

It had been a Red Monsoon found dead on the Republic City Express, exporting some sort of substance out of the city. That case that she and Mako solved by being in the right place at the right time left her with a nagging feeling of irresolution. Then again, she had no means to figure out why Mongkut, owner of the Republic City Express would dirty his hands with the murder of a gang member.

"Korra, are you listening?" Mako placed a gentle hand on her arm.

She could see the concern in his eyes plainly. "I'm fine," she muttered quickly and pulled away from his touch before turning her attention back to the table. "I'll have someone look into a Red Monsoon connection." This would be a perfect job for Kai.

"Alright," Saikhan stood. "Keep us updated."

Everyone else quickly exited the room. There was much work to be done while the invisible hourglass drained away until the poisoner's next strike.

"Mako…" Korra watched Kuvira's figure quickly retreating down the hall. "I'll meet you at the car."

She turned away from Mako and jogged down the hall after the District Attorney. "Hey Kuvira! Wait up!"

Kuvira stopped and turned slowly around. Everything the woman seemed to do was carefully calculated. For her everything seemed to be in its place. Korra idly wondered what it would take to figuratively (or literally for that matter) muss a few tendrils of hair from her perfect bun.

"Do you need something, Detective?" Her hands were held behind her back.

"Yes, I think you can help. Suyin Beifong…"

The DA raised her eyebrows, "Yes?"

"Well, I figured with you engaged to her son, Baatar Jr., you might have a unique perspective."

Korra had only spoken to Suyin briefly at the Gala before hell broke loose. Coming into the situation with more knowledge could only benefit the investigation, and Lin surely wasn't going to spill about her sister since it did lack the relevance she would want to chip in to their evidence.

"I suppose, but nothing you will not perceive on your own. Perhaps if you'd answer a question of mine I could give you my opinion on the matter?"

Korra shrugged. She had nothing to lose, "What's the question?"

"I've done my research on you," Kuvira stroked her chin. "You've been described as 'hard to deal with' by a number of individuals. But they further clarified that this was because of your passion and belief in what you do."

"That's not a question," she wasn't sure if it was even a backhanded compliment.

"Can you be counted on to do what it takes to fix this broken city? I only ask because I think you will say yes. You're willing to go to extremes for what you need," Kuvira cracked a small smile and pointed to her own eye; referring to the shiner Korra was sporting. "I think we share that quality."

"I'll do what's right," Korra responded. "I think that is all I can promise to do."

"Fair enough," Kuvira nodded. "Then I'll say I can't imagine Suyin is involved. We've had a small…falling out," she chose her words carefully. "I believe she will be honest and open with you. If that's all, I need to be in my office to manage my work. Do not hesitate to ask if you need something else."

"Thanks."

Kuvira gave her a curt nod before walking off.

They were both fierce and determined to succeed. Perhaps past the differences in composure, she and Kuvira weren't that different.

Now all she needed to do was place a quick call to Kai.

.

.

The Zaoful Steel Building was stunning to say the least. It was one of the newer skyscrapers to grace the Republic City skyline. Unlike the drab rectangular high rises, the headquarters of the largest steel company in the region was a work of art in itself. Through proprietary new production and construction techniques, the building twisted into the sky in a magnificent display of steel.

The lobby was no different. The atrium reached up four floors with all the metal exposed. It didn't take much to appreciate the engineering and amazing aesthetic that the structure that in addition to its beauty there was great function that held the many floors above. At the center was a large fountain. Metal twisted into a beautiful flower that was a marvel to look at. The sound of running water was accented by the vibrations of the thin metal as water poured and dripped on the welded features until it reached the final circular pool.

Upon entering the building, the pair was immediately escorted to an elevator. The ride was short as the car accelerated up to the top floor of the building.

The doors slid open to reveal one, large, open room. There was a desk and a seating area far ahead, but the entire floor seemed eclectic to say the least. One corner had handrails and mirrors as one might expect in a dance studio, while another seemed to be a small art studio.

"Detectives!" Suyin Beifong beckoned them over to the desk and motioned for them to sit down.

"Beautiful building," Korra remarked. It was true, but mostly out of politeness.

"My husband, Baatar, is the mastermind behind it," Suyin smiled fondly. "He's quite the architect." Suyin pulled a cigarette out. "Can I offer either of you a smoke?"

Korra nodded yes and took the slim cigarette between her fingers and leaned in so the CEO could light it. She sat down, taking a thankful drag off the cigarette to subdue her craving.

"I can't imagine your purpose in being here is architecture."

"Well," Korra tapped her cigarette over the ashtray. "You were at the gala. You are aware of the incident that occurred."

The media and city was still unaware of the connection to the ongoing poisoning investigation that had claimed lives. As far as she was concerned, the longer they could keep that information out of the public's reach, the better they could investigate.

Suyin frowned and folded her hands on her desk. "Yes…that was quite frightening. But I'm afraid that I do not know how I can help you in your investigation. Care to let me in the loop?"

"We traced the source of the poisoned food material to one of your warehouses," Mako pulled a document out of his jacket pocket and slid it on the desk in front of her with the address and proof of ownership of the facility. "There was also…an illegal bare-knuckle fighting ring operating last evening."

Suyin drew the paper towards her, her lips pressed into a thin line. "There wasn't a set of twins there, was there? Dark hair? Green eyes."

Korra shook her head, "I don't believe so."

"Thank goodness," Suyin's posture relaxed ever so slightly. "Two of my sons are always getting into trouble."

Korra couldn't help but think that this wasn't an appropriate time to worry about the activities of one's sons when there was something so much more sinister occurring.

Suyin seemed to sense this and cleared her throat, "But that is of course beside the point. Let me call up my Chief Operations Officer. He's only one floor down. Supply chain and logistics are his responsibility in Zaofu Steel." She pressed on an intercom on the desk, "Aiwei? Could you please come up to my office?" She turned back to Mako and Korra, "It'll only be a moment or two."

Korra finished off the slim cigarette and pressed it into the ashtray until the tendrils of smoke died away to nothing. Her mind kept drifting back to the conversation she had with Mako last night. But now wasn't the time. They were chasing their first big lead on the case. Korra could only hope that this wouldn't turn out to be a dead end. It would be a disaster for their investigation, and possibly the same for a number of lives.

"You called me?"

She whipped around in her chair at the sound of the new voice.

Aiwei was tall and slim. His dark skin made his silver beard and (what was left) of his hair that ringed around his bald head just above the ears. His suit was clean and simple; black with a light green shirt and dark, patterned green tie, the lotus flower logo of Zaofu Steel pined to his lapel. His half moon spectacles were low on his nose, his hands behind his back. He carried himself with a refined demeanor and presence as he walked towards Suyin.

"Aiwei, this is Detective Mako and Detective Korra," Suyin stood and motioned for Aiwei to join Mako and Korra. "They're looking into the incident at the gala last night."

The man's face remained neutral. "This of course is nothing Zaofu Steel is involved in," his voice was unnaturally even.

"These two detectives have evidence that one of our warehouses was the origin of the poisoned food. I need you to pull the information on the shipment immediately. The have provided the shipment number of 728394."

"I most protest—"

"My family could have easily been among the ill or dead this morning," her voice was edged with steel. "This isn't optional. I do not care how busy you are."

"I have a meeting," he slipped a quick look at his watch. "Perhaps I could aid these detectives in the afternoon."

"Korra, Mako," Suyin took a deep breath. "I'll give you full access to our records since Aiwei is busy."

Aiwei remained stoic as he left a hollow apology in his wake.

Suyin smiled, "I'll be around all day until four. We will then be installing a new statue in the lobby, created by my own son, Huan. You are welcome to attend and Aiwei is slated to be there if you have additional questions.

.

.

Suyin summoned a secretary to assist them in their search. The records room was on the third floor the building; filing cabinets filled the large space completely with rows upon rows that stretched from wall to wall. It reminded Korra of a better-lit version of the stacks in the basement of the Republic City Library. A few signs pointed the way through shipment and project numbers, but without help, the system would have been unnavigable to an outsider. A few hours of searching later, they found the shipping report misfiled with production reports.

Korra ran her eyes over the yellow carbon copy looking for something,  _anything_  that might help them. The shipment was labeled as "miscellaneous equipment," clearly a lie. But he signature at the bottom of the page was what caught her attention.

"Mako…Aiwei signed for the shipment of poisoned dough personally. He lied."

Mako checked his watch, "It's just about four now. We can catch them at the statue installation in the lobby."

Korra held tightly to the yellow sheet of paper as they rushed to the elevator, leaving the secretary behind in a state of confusion.

Her heart was beating in her throat as the elevator neared the lobby. This was it. They had someone that they could pull information from. Someone they could link with the poisonings. Heck, Aiwei could the notorious poisoner himself and this could be case closed. And if not, Korra was determined that she would squeeze every bit of information he had out of him. The case and lives rested on it.

The elevator doors opened with a ding. A small crowd was gathered around the middle fountain, where a large statue that towered over the original lotus flower sculpture was covered with a white sheet.

Korra stalked carefully through the back of the crowd. Aiwei was easy enough to spot with his long, slim stature.

"I'd like to thank you all for being here today…" Suyin's voice faded from her consciousness as she approached Aiwei.

No one noticed her and Mako pushing slowly to the front. She consciously slowed her breathing, keeping calm as they neared the target. Her field of vision narrowed to Aiwei to stood hands clasped behind his back.

This is what she lived for. She had always been the job, but some days were of course better than others. Days of paperwork were shit; same were days with no active leads. Seeing a criminal get put behind bars was satisfying, but not her favorite. No, the best moments were at the end of a chase when adrenaline still pumped through her system giving her the best high that existed in her opinion.

Korra's hand darted forward, clasping Aiwei's wrist tightly. "Excuse me. Detective Mako and I need to speak to you… _downtown_."

She hadn't anticipated him wrenching back with some force. She had underestimated him; she missed that beneath the calm, middle-aged façade was speed. Before she could react, he reached into his coat and produced a small revolver. Aiwei moved quickly, grabbing the woman to his side and pulling her back to his chest, weapon pressed to the side of her head.

Mako and Korra both pulled their firearms.

Shit, he had grabbed Opal Beifong, here just to enjoy a new piece of art by her brother. The young woman didn't struggle, her eyes wide with fear as Aiwei gripped her tightly around the shoulders.

"I'll be leaving now detectives," Aiwei backed through the crowd that quickly receded into the building with squeals of fear. "Please don't make me shoot. I can assure that I will if it is what my escape requires."

Korra and Mako followed at a safe distance. She was a good shot, but Aiwei was doing too good of a job keeping his larger frame covered by Opal's smaller body. She couldn't risk it. The only shot she had on Aiwei would potentially be a kill shot. Killing Aiwei here meant no information and no lead. But first, she needed to make sure he had no reason to hurt Opal.

Aiwei kicked the door to the building open with his foot. He backed outside, the door almost closing before he shoved Opal forcefully forward so she fell to the floor.

"Go go go!" Korra yelled, sprinting in pursuit outside.

She and Mako skidded to a halt on the sidewalk, looking desperately for Aiwei. She couldn't let him get away.

"There!" Mako pointed down the street to the right.

Aiwei had a cab driver at gunpoint as he forced the man out of the driver's seat.

Korra reacted fast. Their car was parked around the corner, and she would rather avoid a car chase if she could. She held her breath and raised her pistol to take aim at the rear passenger side tire. The tire blew with a loud pop as Aiwei slammed on the gas, wheels spinning and smoking as he tried to get away. The car swerved as he got up to speed, the car veering sharply right and towards the sidewalk. Bystanders dived away as the taxi smashed head on into a light post.

Mako and Korra sprinted fifty yards down the street. Mako kept his revolver trained on the driver's side door as Korra wrenched it open, yanking Aiwei out of the cab by his jacket. A bit of blood dripped

"You're under arrest," Korra smirked.

Aiwei cackled and shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm not." He popped a capsule into his mouth from his coat. "You have no idea what is coming for this city." His body seized, white foam frothing from between his lips until his body stilled.

Dead. Poison.

.

.

**Author Note:** Sorry again for the long wait. Exams, vacation, sports, etc. I apologize if the chapter is less coherent because I've been working on it for a long period. Next one should be out sooner for sure. If you're a Tumblr User, make sure you check out Makorra Week and the Makorra Summer Project!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting. I promise this fic will be finished. We're officially 2/3 of the way through the chapters planned. Writing isn't my best after so much time off.

 

**Chapter 10 – "Get Me to the Church on Time"**

" _I got to get there in the morning_  
Ding, ding, dong, they're gonna chime  
Kick up a rumpus, don't lose your compass  
Get me to the church, get me to the church  
Pete's sake, get me to the church on time"

.

.

Korra let Aiwei's now limp body fall down on to the pavement. The foam that sprung from beneath his lips dripped on to the street along with blood that dripped down his forehead from the crash.

"I can't believe that fucking bastard killed himself!" Korra clenched her fists tightly. "He was the most concrete lead we've had this entire fucking case!

Korra couldn't remember the last time she had been so furious. This case seemed to be determined to keep its truth away from her. It was just cruel. I was _unfair_ ; though she knew that life was hardly fair to begin with no matter what side you were on.

"Take it easy," Mako steadied her with a hand on her back, his fingers running in soothing circles. "I'll get on the horn and we'll find out where he lives. We'll tear his place apart until we get another lead. Maybe this means we're getting warmer on this whole thing."

He was right. Aiwei's suicide could mean that they were on the right track. It could mean that the piece of evidence that could pry the case wide open.

Mako headed over to a nearby phone booth as a few cop cars careened into the area, sirens blazing. The uniformed officers quickly cordoned off the area and kept the large crowd of interested bystanders at bay.

"Hang on there," Korra waved off the young officer who moved to drape a sheet over Aiwei's body. "Leave him."

"But he's—," the officer laughed. "Nice black eye you've got there detective."

"Leave him, asshole," she snapped, anger getting the best of her. "You'd better radio for the coroner. No one fucking touches that body until Dr. Jinora gives the word. You got it?"

The officer nodded, taking up a post on the body.

Korra couldn't stop her hand from shaking as she pulled a cigarette from her coat and pressed it between her lips. It was a mixture of anger, stress, and the waning adrenaline that still pumped through her system after the car chase. She fished through her pockets, finding a half-empty matchbox from a dive bar she liked to frequent. Now wasn't the time to pester someone for a light; she needed a moment alone.

She took a slow drag off the cigarette and exhaled slowly. The stress slowly ebbed from her body as the smoke curled up in wispy tendrils from between her lips. Although she knew that there probably wasn't a way to stop Aiwei's suicide, she couldn't help but _feel_ if she had just been faster, this entire mess could have been avoided.

Sometimes she wished she had the ability to stoically trudge along like Mako did. As much as his ability to shut down infuriated her as it made him impossible to read, he often seemed to have such a tight handle on things. However, she knew him well enough that she knew he wasn't unfeeling. There was something simmering under the surface there; she just had to wait for it to burst forth on his terms.

"Korra, I've got the address."

She dropped the cigarette to the ground, pressing the small flickering ember out with the toe of her shoe.

"Kai is meeting us. Says he has something we'll want to know."

"Let's get going then," Korra took a deep breath.

The walk to Mako's car was thankfully silent. She shoved her hands deep into her trench coat pockets and stalked a few paces behind her partner, hoping that the quiet would hold. She needed the work. She needed the distraction. She needed the slow, creeping progression towards the end. It made her feel alive.

Korra slid into the Satomobile and closed her eyes. She listened to the car as it hummed through the Republic City streets.

Aiwei's residence was in the East Village. This lovely, waterfront neighborhood was another playground of the rich and powerful in Republic City. It was the kind of place Korra marveled at when she first arrived. While her free accommodations as she got settled under Tenzin's watchful eye on Air Temple Island were wonderful, they were so in a different way. There was a peaceful tranquility to the isolation of it's many groves and plazas, the dream of buying her way into one of the elite neighborhoods of Republic City was tempting. Though she was never very materialistic (her apartment didn't have much more than she needed), there was an allure to the power. At least, until she realized the means many of the East Village residents went through to amass their fortunes.

The ride was short enough. Korra rubbed at her eyes, a sudden tiredness taking over here.

"Pull over up there on the right," she pointed out the dashboard at a figure leaning against a mailbox. "That's Kai."

"I'm sure he heard about what happened," Mako pulled in and cut the power.

Korra stepped out of the car, slamming the door harder than she intended to. "I hope you have good news."

"I do," Kai frowned. "I guess it depends on what you think is good—"

"Just get on with it," she snapped. She couldn't help her sour mod after the turns the day had already taken them on.

"I found a Red Monsoon connection," he flashed a rakish grin.

"I don't pay you to brag."

"You barely pay me at all!" Kai bit back, rolling his eyes. "The Red Monsoons were trying to come up with new poisons. Untraceable, you know, perfect for killing or whatever. But something happened—"

" _Something_?" Korra's frustration was barely restrained.

"Yeah, I haven't figured that part out yet. But their head scientist fled the city with the poison they had to Ba Sing Se, but was never heard from."

"Because he was murdered," Mako frowned.

"How do ya figure that?" Kai eyed him skeptically.

But Korra knew what direction Mako was heading in immediately. It was a connection that had been a mysterious loose end for almost three years now. A Red Monsoon marked with their trademark red swirl tattoo, bound for Ba Sing Se. His identity hidden by fake IDs and left with an empty glass jar labeled "TOXIC," a small bit of white powder left.

"Because we found him," Korra pinched the bridge of her nose. "He was killed enroute on the Republic City Express."

"The murderer committed suicide," Mako added. "But I don't think whatever was in that glass jar was recovered."

Korra thought back the best she could to the events on the Republic City Express. She pushed past the wonderful memories of her vacation with Mako, trying to focus on the case details. It wasn't even really a case; it was an intervention by necessity.

"The jar wasn't a priority," she shifted through her pockets for a cigarette, pulling one out of her jacket.

Mako lit it, before taking a deep breath. "I'm not sure it was ever found. I'm not sure it was ever even looked for."

"Well a fat lot of good that does us," Korra took a long drag. "Ano Kaito was killed by cyanide, and the gala goers were poisoned with arsenic. You just wasted your time. The Red Monsoons aren't behind this."

"The Chief told us to investigate it and we did—"

"Do you always have to do as you're told?" she interrupted.

"And do you _always_ have to disagree with me for the sake of disagreeing?"

"Well if you weren't so satisfied being Beifong's pet—"

"Christ!" Kai slapped a hand to his forehead. "Do you two have to argue like you've been married for years?"

Korra glared, silently praying she wouldn't blush. Caught falling into old habits with Mako was something she was trying to avoid. Sometimes it felt as if she was caught in his gravity, fighting against the natural tug she seemed to feel for him.

She shoved her hands in her jacket pockets, "Let's just go search the goddamn apartment." She walked off without bothering to check whether Mako, Jinora, and Kai had moved to follow her.

They stopped quickly at the landlord's office. They provided a packet of leasing information and said that Aiwei had paid a premium for privacy. The unit was a condo in everything but the official legal documents. Aiwei's apartment was on the third floor; up a private stairwell guarded by a doorman at all hours. A few quick minutes of questioning led them to conclusion that the doorman had not seen any noticeable changes in Aiwei's routine. In fact, the former Zaofu Chief Operations Officer had kept to himself. Korra didn't find this surprising; he seemed to be a quiet sort of man on their first encounter in Suyin's office. Years of police work and success as a detective meant that she had learned to make quick judgments. She trusted her gut. It saved her too many times for her to count.

They entered into a small foyer. Dark stained wood floors guided Korra into the main living space. A quick glance to her right led in to am equipped, but spartan kitchen. She knew there would be more cops here after them to comb the place from top to bottom. They would pull every single fork out of the drawers praying for a clue. But she turned her attention to areas that she thought would be more fruitful.

She watched Mako poke around in the living room. A small loveseat and a reading chair with a directed overhead light were the main pieces in the room, with a coffee table sparsely covered with impeccably neat stacks of business magazines on top. He sifted through the reading material most adjacent to the reading chair.

"What do have over there?" Korra peered into his bedroom.

"Nothing of note," he turned his attention to the large bookcases that dominated the walls. "He sure did like to read, didn't he?"

She grumbled in affirmation and stepped through the door into the bedroom. The bed was simple. The white linen covers were drawn up so neatly it looked as if it was barely used. Looking for confirmation that Aiwei still used the residence, Korra stepped into the bathroom. The olive shower curtain was still slightly damp at the bottom; Aiwei had been here.

"Wait a second…" Jinora's voice sounded from down the hall.

"Yeah?" Korra called over her shoulder as she looked through the medicine cabinet. No prescriptions, but it looked like Aiwei was a big fan of herbal remedies.

"You should take a look at this."

Korra took one closed the cabinet door gingerly before walking back into the main room. "What'cha got?"

Jinora crouched down in front of one of the large bookcases, her fingers feeling along the dark wooden floors. Korra crouched down to get a better look; Jinora was tracing a set of grooves that marked an arc scraped lightly into the floor. Her eyes followed the grooves until they reached the bookcase.

"The bookcase moves," Korra mumbled, mostly to herself.

"Give me a hand," Mako grabbed what looked like to be the moving end of the bookcase and tugged.

Jinora eyed the bookcase warily. "There is probably a release somewhere—"

"We don't have time for that," Korra grabbed a shelf next to Mako and tugged. She didn't have the patience to pull every book off the damn, probably secret passage.

Suddenly, the bookcase gave way. The quickness of its release caught Korra off guard and she quickly tumbled to the ground before quickly scrambling to her feet.

"Well, I'll be damned," Mako stepped through the opened passage way.

It was a small room. It looked like it had been converted from a modestly deep closet. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling provided a yellow, dim light. Only a desk and chair furnished the room; the former covered in papers. Mako, Korra, and Jinora elbowed their way in so they were all standing half in the room. They each grabbed a stack of paper and sifted through quickly.

"Letters…" Korra sorted through. "Looks like at least four correspondents. All with code names."

"Looks like these are inventory slips…" Mako stepped out back into the living room. "Dynamite, nails…these are bomb parts! I don't know what Aiwei was planning here but it isn't good."

"Location…we need a location," she continued through her stack of papers.

Her eyes darted across each paper that passed through her hands. A bomb wasn't what she was expecting. They were looking for a poisoner, not a bomber. But she didn't have time now to worry and examine the what ifs; _if_ they had a situation on their hands, connected or not, it had to be dealt with now before innocents died.

"What's on the corner of Fourteenth Street and Park?" Mako held up a sheet of paper.

"The Republic Cathedral," Jinora answered without pause.

"It's a Friday," he examined the page again. "There aren't any services there today."

Jinora's eyes widened in realization, "No…but m-my father has a standing appointment for confession there every Friday at four."

Korra's heart dropped into her stomach. "Fuck, we've gotta get over there."

.

.

The siren on Mako's Satomobile blared as he raced through the city at breakneck speed. Korra ordered Jinora off to call for backup. The situation they could possibly be running into was no place for a fresh-faced medical examiner.

"We're going to beat the backup there." Mako's voice was strained.

"Well we can't just wait for them!" Korra held on to the door for dear life. She'd have to criticize his driving later. "Killing a Republic City Councilman would be their highest profile yet."

"The change from poison to bombs?"

"Maybe they weren't so pleased with the fact that they didn't exactly kill as many as they wanted to at the gala. Let's worry about it later, and save Tenzin's ass first!"

Mako flicked off the sirens a block out to keep some element of surprise. He brought the car to a hard stop on the sidewalk outside of the church. Korra's was out of the car; gun drawn before Mako even had a chance to push his door open. She knew he would be shortly behind her as he always was. She burst through the heavy doors of the cathedral, eyes scanning across the room for danger.

"Tenzin!" She yelled, catching sight of his figure off towards the confessional booths.

"Korra?" Tenzin whipped around, confusion evident on his face. His gaze darted downward, noticing the drawn pistol in her hand. "What's going on?"

She grabbed him gently by the elbow and pulled him towards the door. "You need to get out of here," she frantically encouraged him to move faster. "I don't have time to explain, but you're in danger."

"Alright," he picked up his pace.

Korra was thankful for the history they had, thankful that he had opened his home to her when she had first arrived in the city, and of course, thankful that he was willing to save questions for later.

The snap of a bullet whizzing by sent Korra's instincts into overdrive. She grabbed Tenzin by the shoulders and dragged him to the ground, pushing her weight on top of his to shield him if need be. The bullet punched into an ornamental gargoyle, reducing the head into a crumble of stone on the ground.

Mako moved up quickly behind the last row of pews and fired a few rounds off. "Tenzin, stay down and get out. Korra and I will cover you."

Korra rolled off Tenzin and saw the hesitation in his eyes. He wanted to help. If there was a bomb, as they suspected, Tenzin wasn't safe even out of the line of fire.

"We'll have backup outside in a few minutes. Just, go!"

"Thank you," he reached out and touched her on the arm before scrambling into a crouch.

Korra hadn't spotted the shooter yet, but Mako trained his fire towards the pulpit. As Tenzin ran for the door, she fired off a flurry in the general direction Mako was. She only needed them to keep their heads down long enough for Tenzin to get out. She glanced over her shoulder quickly; no Tenzin.

She pressed her back against the pew and ejected the spent clip from the Varrick 1911. "How many?"

"I've seen four," Mako pressed a fresh set of bullets into his revolver. "We should probably fight our way forward. The backup will reinforce us soon."

"Sounds like my kind of plan," Korra wiggled her eyebrows. She knew Mako wanted to admonish her for making light of such a serious situation, but her adrenaline was raging, her blood was so hard she could feel her body pulse with every beat of her heart. "You go right, I'll go straight up." She pressed a fresh clip into her pistol before firing a few shots over cover before silently vaulting the pew and ducking into her new lane of cover.

She caught one of the combatants switching cover and moving up to the first row of pews. Instead of shooting immediately, she took a moment to see if she could get a mental image of him.

Darker skin, average height and weight. Male. Dark hair. Maybe a moustache. That's all she caught before she returned fire.

Mako had another mark. She was smaller, of slight build, with the same dark hair.

A bullet whizzed over Korra's shoulder. She dropped do the ground quickly. She shouldn't have lost focus like that. All they needed to do was keep them occupied long enough for backup to arrive and have the place surrounded.

Another shot burst towards her, burying itself in the pew just behind her. This third shooter had to have a higher vantage point on them. Korra crawled on the ground towards the center aisle and closer to Mako. The last thing she wanted was to be pinned down and stuck.

"Are you okay?" Mako hissed, returning a few rounds of fire.

"I'm fine," Korra peeked into the aisle and fired a few blind shots. "I thought you said there were four!"

"There were!"

Just then, Korra caught sight of a figure emerging from one of the confessional booths. She was tall. So tall in fact that she had to duck down as she left the wooden stall and began to run for cover, a long brown braid flowing behind her.

Korra held her breath, firing three rounds in a quick burst. But the woman was just too fast as she launched herself into a roll, bolting for a corridor that probably led out of the church.

"Look!" She pointed, drawing Mako's attention. "They're trying to get—"

She never had a chance to finish her sentence.

The confessional booth exploded. The shockwave powerfully burst through Mako, who was fifteen yards or so in front of her between her and the confessional. She didn't even have a chance to turn and instinctively protect her head. She thought she felt herself blown back into the air before landing hard and skidding to a stop.

Everything went black.

.

.

"Mako?" Korra groaned as she slowly came to.

Her head throbbed and her body ached, especially her wrist, which had become awkwardly pinned beneath her weight as she landed. The heavy smell of smoke and sight of fire brought her round to consciousness quickly. The bomb had lit the church on fire. Large flames shot out from the row of wooden confessionals and spread to some of the pews pushed back from the blast.

"Mako!"

She scrambled forward, half-crawling over the broken pews towards where she last saw Mako while trying to stay beneath the black, choking smoke that was quickly filling the church. She shoved the rising panic inside her down with the deepest breath she could take, before continuing her search.

Finally, she caught sight of him. He was partially under one of the pews blown out of place. Luckily, it was easy enough to shove it off him.

Korra grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a few firm shakes, "Mako wake up."

She laid a hand on his chest.

He wasn't breathing.

"Fucking Christ, Mako!"

She began chest compressions. Like fucking hell she was going to drag his lifeless body out of here. In the routine that was drilled into them at the police academy, she leaned down, pulling his jaw open and giving mouth to mouth. Another round of chest compressions. Mouth to mouth. The whole thing blurred into itself as she worked frantically. She couldn't lose him. She just couldn't.

Suddenly Mako took a breath on his own, his eyes still closed.

"About fucking time!" Her voice cracked with a sob. "Come on," she grabbed him under the armpits and began to drag him towards the door.

It was pure torture. Her body felt like one giant bruise. It was so much worse than the time she fell down a flight of stairs drunk and woke up on the floor of her bedroom. She dug her heels into the floor and heaved.

"Can we get some help in here?"

Korra turned quickly, her muscles groaning in protest.

The firefighters had arrived.

"Get these two out of here!"

"I've got him," she steadied her voice.

"Korra?" Mako groaned.

"Come on, City Boy," Korra kept him moving as he tried to regain his footing.

"I'm fine," he began to take some of his own weight on his feet as they stumbled out of the church.

Korra transitioned so one of his arms was flung over her shoulders as she helped him along. "We're going to shove you in the nearest ambulance."

Mako grunted and stood up as straight as he could to prove his point, "I'm fine. Just need to rest."

She frowned, realizing that his stubbornness in this situation was not going to be overcome. "Then you're spending the night at my place where I can keep an eye on you."

"Aren't you hurt too?" He reached up and brushed her cheek gently. She was bleeding and hadn't even noticed.

"It's fine," she did her best to hide a grimace. She could clean it up easily at home. "Come on," she helped him in the backseat of his car and fished his keys out of his coat pocket.

The drive back to Korra's apartment was silent, each detective reeling from the day. There was almost too much to process at the moment. They had gone from dealing with a poisoner to something potentially much more terrifying. She would need to sleep on it all before they got to work again in the morning trying to unravel this mystery before any more lives were lost.

Korra illegally parked Mako's car in front of her building. She wanted to get him inside as quickly as possible, but then again, the tickets wouldn't be under her name anyway.

"Shit, you weight a ton," she joked, helping him up the stairs.

"You're one to talk," he laughed weakly, "I've carried you. I know."

She hauled him through the door and straight to her bedroom. He needed rest. She knew he would undoubtedly be stubborn and insist that he was ready to get back on the chase in the morning, so this was the best she could do for him. She helped him pull of his jacket and shoes, but he hesitated when she went for the buttons on his shirt.

"Oh, come on," Korra rolled her eyes. "I've seen you without your shirt on before. You're going to sleep badly if you aren't comfortable."

Mako sighed and nodded, conceding to her will. "Go ahead and clean up your cheek. I can do the rest."

"Alright," Korra tossed her own jacket over a chair and headed for the bathroom.

The cut on her cheek stuck like shit when she cleaned it out and attached a piece of gauze to the wound. Satisfied with her work, she stole a look at herself in the mirror. The woman who stared back looked haggard. There were dark circles that stood out starkly against her blue eyes. She wanted this over. She wanted these criminals behind bars. She wanted the rest. But Korra being Korra knew that she was nowhere near close to giving up.

Korra walked quietly back into the bedroom, "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine," he insisted.

She crossed her arms, "I'll be in the other room if you need something."

"You're going to sleep on the couch?'

"Yeah." Where else would she sleep?

"You got battered by the explosion too," he pulled back the covers. "Just sleep here."

Everything instinct she had screamed that this was a bad idea.

"Please."

That one word broke her.

"Fine," she wanted to sound as if she was doing him a favor, but she was sure that it came out as a relieved sigh as she crawled beneath the covers.

They lay in the dark. Not touching, not speaking, just breathing in the dark. Korra couldn't help but shake the feeling that just the knowledge that he was near made her world seem more secure than it was just a few moments ago.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're still with me, I would love if you dropped me a like/kudos, or a comment or reblog tag note. Helps me keep going! Sorry for typos. I no longer have a beta.


	11. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fic is now 13 chapters and an epilogue after some reorganization. 

 

**Chapter 11 – "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire"**

" _I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim_  
I just want to be the one you love  
And with your admission that you feel the same  
I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of, believe me"

.

.

Korra awoke to her face pressed into soft, linen fabric. She inhaled deeply, eyes still closed and relaxed, willing herself back to sleep. She was warm. She felt safe, cocooned in familiarity.

Home.

It felt like home.

The moment of calm of course couldn't last. The events of last night came back to her quickly. The explosion. The fight, Mako's injuries, a case still unfinished and growing more dangerous to them and the public alike; there was so much to do. Staying in bed was unfortunately an option for a much later date.

She wasn't home. She was in Mako's bed, her nose pressed into his pillow, body curled towards his and she edged him towards the brink of the mattress. His scent. Memories rushed back, playing inside of her head. Happy memories. Back from when she could count on waking up with her limbs entangled with his, worries flung away and forgotten within the sanctuary they constructed together.

But that was then. Before he betrayed her. Or at least, it seemed like betrayal so viscerally at the time.

"Mako…"

Korra had been right. This was a bad idea. That old feeling (of dare she say, "love?") started to crawl over her. It was so familiar, so right feeling she couldn't help herself.

"Yeah?" He groaned, stretching his legs out and rolling his shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that," she didn't dare move.

"Well, yeah I'm okay," his voice was slightly muffled, his face towards the window.

"Remind me why this…us…didn't work," Korra whispered.

It was half to herself. A quiet call for absolution. Messes were easy to make. They were more difficult to clean up and put the pieces back where they belonged. Some things, once broken, never reached their original state. But that didn't stop the yearning for that first state of order, a want to go back to a better time.

Mako took a deep breath, "We're like fire and water."

"That was poetic, Mr. Reader," Korra let loose a bitter laugh. "I guess we did clash too much."

He hesitated for a moment, "Did we really though?" Mako rolled over, their faces mere inches from one another. "We had some great times. _Incredible_ times."

"What are you saying?"

They circled each other again. Both too afraid to make the first move in an absurd game of chicken; if the other flinched away after an inward it would be a devastating blow. His gaze darted downward before he rolled off the bed.

"I'm not saying anything," he rubbed his face, back muscles flexing as he stretched.

Usually Korra was content to avoid this subject. But there was something in the seeming finality of the case that spurred her forward. This case was quickly becoming her most dangerous yet. Bigger than the Sato bust, and bigger even than the Red Killer. With the stakes rising, she hoped they would have time and the ability to sort all this out after it was over.

The shrill ring of the phone from the other room broke her from her thoughts.

"I'll get it," Mako disappeared without another word into the other room.

Korra propped herself up on her elbows. She needed focus, not distractions.

The phone call only lasted a minute. Mako walked quickly in, fishing out a clean, white shirt from his closet. "We've gotta get down to the station."

"Can we swing by my apartment real quick so I can get some clean clothing?"

"Yeah, as long as it's fast," Mako draped a red tie around his neck and pulled out a black suit. "Some guy turned himself in regarding the poisonings and the bomb at the church."

"Seriously?" Korra jumped out of bed, tugging on her socks. "Are we sure this isn't some nut job begging for attention?"

"Don't know yet. Said they are waiting for us to do the interrogation."

"Any info on him?"

"All I know is that his name is Zaheer."

.

.

The stopover at Korra's apartment was brief. She changed into a heathered navy blue suit and grabbed the matching tie and a plain white button down. It was her favorite suit. She usually wasn't very picky with her clothing, but Asami had taught her a bit in the fashion department. It was undeniable that some clothing just made you feel more confident. In this suit, she felt like she owned the room more than she usually did. A pair of practical black oxford shoes finished her look before she tugged on her gray trench coat and fedora.

The ride to the station was thankfully short. She was eager to move forward, but tempered optimism. This Zaheer character could very well be someone looking for attention. In her experience, these sorts of crazies fell apart quickly in the interrogation room.

Korra and Mako rushed to the first floor holding area and ducked into the closed side of the only interrogation room being occupied.

"Glad you're here," Kuvira turned slightly at the entrance of the two detectives. Her hands were clasped behind her back, hair pulled back into a clean bun. She was clothed in a simple black suit. "You of course realize how important this interrogation may prove to be."

"There's a big 'if' there," Mako studied Zaheer through the one-way mirror. "I'm going to go say hi." He walked briskly out of the room and appeared on the other side with Zaheer.

Zaheer was bald, built with broad shoulders beneath the workingman's flannel shirt. He sat tall, hands folded in front of him on the metal table, his defining feature a scar that cut through his left eyebrow. His gaze trained unwaveringly at the one-way mirror. There was a hardness in his gaze. It wasn't something that Korra could quantify…it was a feeling, a gut feeling. This man was trouble.

"No kidding," Korra crossed her arms and stepped up next to Kuvira. "We'll figure him out. I live for this sort of thing."

"I understand," Kuvira smiled. "I feel the same rush in the courtroom. Making small gains and building your plan…it's a chess match with higher stakes."

"You know," she turned to the District Attorney, "you're not someone I'd want to go up against. You're pretty tough."

Kuvira laughed, "You're quite formidable yourself, Detective Korra. I can say the same about you."

Perhaps once they cleaned this whole thing up, Kuvira could be a powerful ally…or a dangerous enemy. Korra wasn't quite sure which was more likely, but only time would tell. She seemed rigid. She was the immovable object that would stand against an unstoppable force. For now, Kuvira wanted the persons responsible for these killings behind bars and would surely do everything to prosecute them. She and Mako just needed to catch them and get the evidence.

Mako crossed his arms, back to the window.

Korra realized she hadn't hit the switch to pipe the sound in from the other room. A quick motion solved this, but Mako was already leaving the room, slamming the door behind him.

He reappeared in the closed-side room. "He only wants to talk to you."

"Well," Korra took off her hat and trench coat, and placed them on the rack by the door before rolling her neck. "I guess I'm up."

She stepped out into the hall and took a deep breath, pausing with her hand on the doorknob. Interrogations were tricky. A wrong move meant losing access to information, perhaps forever. She needed to get this right, for all of their sakes.

Korra stepped into the room with swagger, her usual air of confidence bumped up. "So, I heard you wanted to talk to me?" She dropped down unceremoniously across from Zaheer, arms crossed.

"Yes," the corner of his lips curled up ever so slightly. "I've heard a lot about you, Detective Korra."

"I can't say the same. I've heard nothing about you." She shrugged. "So tell me why you're here."

"I am here, of course, in connection to the poisoning cases in the city. And most recently, the bomb that you and Detective Mako had a close run-in with." His voice was even. Calm, even bordering on practiced. "You haven't heard of me because it hasn't been the time yet."

"Is that a confession?"

Zaheer's smile grew, shaking his head and letting loose a quiet snort. "You realize you're on the wrong side here, don't you?"

"I am?" Korra sat back, leaning back so the chair teetered on two legs. If this guy wanted to gab, she was going to let him gab. He could talk his guts out for all she cared. This all went on the record.

"The police in this city are corrupt, just like all the others. You do not allow the city to breathe. It does not need you. It does not need your policing. It does not need you."

Korra resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The last thing she had expected was this suspect monologuing at her. "Why bombs _and_ poison."

Zaheer grinned as if he had been waiting for this question. "There are two types of chaos. Poison…it's a seeping panic. Kills quietly, but what death is quiet anyway? And explosive devices…it's the other side of the coin."

"And your conspirators aided in this?

Zaheer stared silently across the table.

"Well I hope you don't mind if I smoke," she pulled out a cigarette from her inside coat pocket and lit it quickly with a pack of Narook's Noodles free matches. She put the cigarette to her mouth and took a long drag, exhaling the smoke into the still air. "Are you willing to sign a written confession?"

"Haven't I already said that's why I'm here? To talk?"

"Well, that's not good enough for court," Korra tapped her cigarette ashes on to the table. "We know you're with these Red Lotus people. We might be able to cut you a deal if the information you give me is worth it."

"You know…" Zaheer leaned over the table, his handcuffs rattling as they hit the metal surface. "You and Detective Mako moved far faster than my colleagues or I had predicted. You surprised me, and that doesn't happen often."

"Gee, I've impressed you," Korra couldn't hold back the sarcastic comment.

Zaheer seemed undeterred.

"So?" She pressed the cigarette out. "What now?"

He sat back in his chair, "You've forced us to speed up our plans. The police department wasn't on my top list of priorities, but I am able to be flexible and flow."

The sound of a muffled explosion rocked the building. Not powerful enough that her first instinct was to jump to the ground for cover, but enough to shake her.

"I think that's your cue to leave," his expression was unfazed.

Korra stood up so fast that the chair flew out from under her and clattered to the floor. She slammed her hands down on the table. Zaheer didn't so much as flinch.

"You think I won't hurt your friends in the process of stopping them?"

"I wouldn't call them my friends."

"Bullshit!" Korra heard screams and commotion resonating from down the hall. He was bluffing. He had to be. "I will make your life a living hell until this is over."

"Korra!" Mako burst through the door.

"You stay here," Korra growled, leaving the room and slamming the door shut.

"There's been and explosion upstairs, come on!" Mako took off running towards the nearest stairwell.

Zaheer had turned himself in as a distraction. While they were tied up, focusing on him in the interrogation room, his Red Lotus buddies had somehow infiltrated the building. As they reached the damaged floor, panic flooded through Korra's system. This was the floor with the administrative offices. The departmental managers had their desks here. Lin had her office here.

Korra and Mako careened around the corner, arms up to filter out the still lingering smoke from the blast. Other officers were already helping out drag casualties downstairs. She looked frantically through the chaos for Lin or one of the Red Lotus members.

"Detectives!" Lin emerged from around a corner, pistol in hand. "They headed down the fire escape. Let's go!"

She didn't even have a moment to question whether _the_ Chief of Police should be chasing down a set of dangerous criminals personally.

Korra drew her Varrick 1911 from her shoulder holster and followed quickly, ducking through the window after Lin. Her left hand ghosted against the cold railing as they started down the stairs. Korra could see one woman fleeing, her feet hitting hard against the ground as she leapt the last half a floor instead of taking the ladder. Even from the distance, Korra could tell she was tall. Undoubtedly she was the woman from the church. Her braided hair swung behind her as she stumbled to her feet, a heavy bag slug over her shoulder pushing her off balance.

"Freeze!" Korra yelled, pausing to fire a few rounds.

But the woman had distance on her side, and quickly rounded the corner, out of the alley and out of sight while the bullets bit into the pavement.

Korra continued her run down the fire escape. Mako and Lin were ahead, having not stopped to discharge their weapons at the fleeing suspect. The fire escape rattled as she pounded down the stairs. Finally she reached the bottom, and leapt down, skipping the ladder like the woman had. She ran as fast as she could, darting around the corner after Mako and Lin.

"Hands up!"

Mako and Lin had their pistols leveled at the tall woman.

"I said hands up!" Mako yelled.

They were still a good thirty yards away from the woman, but she had turned into a dead end.

The woman didn't move to turn, and instead reached slowly into the heavy bag slung over her shoulder.

Korra dropped to one knee, aiming her pistol at the woman's center of mass. "We've got you cornered."

The woman pulled a detonator out of the bag.

"Get down!" Mako jumped up, grabbing Korra by the collar and hauling her behind a dumpster.

Lin leapt the other way, firing two rounds towards the woman.

At least one bullet hit its mark.

The bomb exploded. Like the one that went off in the police department, it was not as large as the one planted in the church. It was likely supposed to do localized damage. The shockwave popped Korra's ears as she covered her head, huddling next to Mako behind their solid piece of cover. Shrapnel could be heard pinging against the dumpster's metal sides.

Korra peeked out, sure that the explosion was finished. "Jesus fuck…"

Where the woman once stood was just a stain of blood, gore strewn about. There was nothing left.

.

.

"Zaheer got away with the aid of two others while you tracked down the woman," Saikhan paced in their temporary command center setup in the homicide department, since the administration offices were still a burned mess. "They escaped in a gray commercial truck. There is an APB out on all the members of the Red Lotus."

Korra examined the three pictures on the table.

Zaheer. The likely mastermind.

Ghazan. The muscle.

Ming-Hua. The poisoner.

P'Li. The now deceased bomb maker.

"We cannot rule out that they have other explosive devices they intend to use in the city," Lin frowned. "What else do we know?"

"The four escaped during a large prison escape outside the city four years ago," Saikhan sifted through a file. "It was a gang-related break. The four likely managed to skip out without involvement."

Korra leaned with her hip against the desk, "Okay, now what?"

Saikhan sighed. Bags were already developing under his eyes. "You wait."

"Lay low," Lin added.

"Lay low?" Korra couldn't believe her ears. "This has been our case from the beginning and you want us to _lay low_?"

"We deserve to be in on this," Mako put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her.

"And you are," Saikhan didn't succeed in sounding reassuring. "If you're worried about credit—"

"I'm worried about closure," she bit back.

"This is all-hands now," Lin crossed her arms. "You're in. Take a break. Come back, and I'll put you out on one of the patrol briefs. Go get lunch out."

.

.

"I figured you would be too busy to eat out what with the chaos, and the murders, and the mystery," Bolin mumbled, his mouth filled with noodles.

Opal didn't find this amusing, and scooted farther away in the booth from Bolin, who was spraying bits of broth out of his mouth with every word.

"We were nicely told to take a break," Korra laughed, handing Bolin a napkin.

Mako stirred his noodles absentmindedly, "This whole thing wasn't supposed to blow up in our faces like it did."

Korra barely contained a giggle.

"That wasn't supposed to be a pun or a joke," Mako groaned, eliciting a full round of laughter from the table.

Obviously, they knew from the beginning that it was a huge case. But Korra couldn't have guessed that the stakes would have climbed so high. Vice was one thing. Drugs destroyed lives. Gangs caught up drugs destroyed lives. The Red Killer picked off women one by one. But never had she faced someone no intent on causing damage on a massive scale. The Red Lotus had seemed to grow desperate. The poisonings were crimes of patience, careful targeting, and meticulous planning. These bombs however, they were messy. They were hasty. And when criminals got desperate, they made mistakes. Korra knew without a doubt that their fatal mistake was coming. They just had to catch it.

"Well, something good came out of it," Bolin nudged Opal and gave her a wink.

Mako smiled, but Korra knew him well. It was the sort of smile that didn't quite reach the eyes. It had "I can't believe my brother thinks he's in love when he's known this girl for a week or so," all over it.

"Well, we have to get going," Opal pulled a few bills out of her purse and dropped them to the table. "We're meeting my mom this afternoon."

"Whoa, I said I would get lunch today," Bolin shoved the bills yuans back to Opal.

"It's on me," Mako interjected. "Go on. Have a good day. No use arguing over the bill."

"Fine," Bolin pouted. But Korra knew he would never turn down free food. "Please…check in, okay? I worry."

Mako smiled reassuringly, "I'll see you soon."

Bolin helped Opal with her jacket, and the two waved as they left the restaurant.

"Ah, to be young and in love," Korra laughed, watching as Bolin pulled Opal in for a kiss outside of the restaurant. "You remember what is was like to be that carefree?"

"Of course I do," he fiddled with his chopsticks. "But…things get in the way." He shrugged, not quite meeting her eyes. "Sometimes you have to do what feels right."

She knew the lingering subtext behind the conversation. "And what feels right…right now?"

"Solving this case…with you."

"It feels right…to see _this_ through. The case," she added quickly.

"Now we wait," he slumped back.

Korra could feel her patience beginning to run thin. The Red Lotus was going to try to run the city to its breaking point. She could only hope that she wouldn't find hers along the way. But her determination was solid and unwavering; she would do whatever it took to close this case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Endgame time. Drop me a comment on what you think.


	12. All Of Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fic is now 13 chapters and an epilogue after some reorganization. But, this chapter is more fragmented than I'd like. Unfortunately I'm rusty.

**Chapter 12 – "All Of Me"**

" _All of me_  
Why not take all of me  
Can't you see  
I'm no good without you"

.

.

The first call Mako made in the phone booth outside of Narook's was to Asami. He was convinced that there was some data point they had missed in the poisonings that could direct their search for the Red Lotus.

Korra wasn't so sure.

She drummed her fingers impatiently against the dashboard. There was nothing Korra hated more than waiting. Inaction, especially when there was no other option, was hell. Watching the seconds tick away, grain of sand by grain of sand in the figurative giant hourglass of the world was painful. Zaheer and his Red Lotus were undoubtably out there, planning something that would surely injure and kill innocents.

Yet, as slowly as time passed, the trip to Asami's Midtown apartment passed in a blur. Cars and pedestrians passed as if today was just another day. Of course, it was for them. That was people like her existed; to make sure that your average citizen on the street had no idea that people like Zaheer move among them apart from an article in the next day's paper that made the danger feel far away and more like a realistic novel than a feature of their everyday life.

Crime was always too real to her. While it was easy to believe her view of Republic City as one who kept its streets clean was the "real" one, she tried desperately hard not to let the overwhelming cynicism that other veterans on the force carried around like heavy baggage. Yes she saw the grit. She saw the dirt and the grime, both literally and figuratively. But she damn well saw the hope and opportunity that Republic City gave her when she first arrived. That was the city she believed in. The city that she was sure that she was willing to so much of her on the line to preserve and protect.

"Korra let's go."

Mako opened the door of the Satomobile and motioned for her to get out.

Korra tucked her trench coat tighter against her body as a just of rough wind buffeted her figure as she exited the car, the stench of burning gasoline from an idling car stinging her nostrils. She had always hated that smell.

Asami waited by the door of her private entrance and let them in without delay. The small lobby held a mailbox and a moderately sized elevator lit by a chandelier (that Korra felt was uncharacteristically fancy for the short ride they would spend inside) with the turn of a key sent them up towards her penthouse.

The heiress was kind to let them in, but Korra found her friend's expression presently unreadable. She studied her features from the side; the slightly furrowed brow, tension in her breath, and crossed arms portrayed what she seemingly was unwilling to vocalize.

A ding indicated that they had reached her apartment.

Asami strode inside quickly before turning on her heel towards the two detectives. "I've gone over the evidence I have. I'm not sure I have anything that is going to help you find these suspects again."

"There's gotta be something," Korra pressed.

"Mako and I talked it over on the phone and I agreed to look again…" She exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose, "but I don't think this is a great idea."

"This is our case," Korra snapped before Mako could get a word in edgewise.

"And now the whole force is sweeping the city."

"And we're going to be part of that force," she looked over to Mako, "right?"

He barely had a chance to open his mouth before Asami cut in.

"I just don't think it's a wise idea."

Korra wasn't the most...emotionally in-control person. Even she would admit this, but she had gotten better from her rookie days. The exhaustion of her constant alertness on this case was fraying her control.

"It's not your place to step in on police business."

Asami escalated, "Oh right. I guess all the help I provided just wasn't my 'business' then."

"Korra! Asami! Please…" Mako tried to step in.

Korra pressed, "You know that's not what I meant. I was trying to say you can't criticize-"

"That never stopped you from criticizing _my_ choices!"

"Are you really still on about that time you tried to sign over a controlling stock in your business to Varrick?" Korra couldn't believe her ears. "Even Bolin knew that was a bad idea with his lack of business sense!"

"Stop!" Mako physically stepped between them. His voice softened, "Asami," he motioned for her to step aside with a flick of his head.

Asami paused for a moment, weight on her heels before following him.

Korra tried not to listen in, but it was impossible not to catch snippets of their poor excuse for a private conversation. "Under a lot of stress" and "please you have to have at least one loose end" stood out.

After Mako's gentle pleading, Asami's shoulders relaxed and she gave him a nod of his head.

She walked over to a large table used for sketching blueprints by the large windows that looked over the city. The bustling metropolis looked so peaceful from above.

"There's one thing," Asami folded her arms. "But it isn't much."

"We'll take anything," Mako shot Korra a pointed gaze that urged her to keep her mouth shut.

Asami pulled a map of the city out, a few locations were circled in red colored pencil. "Well, I know the city better than anyone…"

Mako stiffened.

Korra knew for a fact that he hated when Asami made such statements. He had complained about it a few times when they were still together. Just because she helped build these streets did not mean she knew them better than Mako who had literally grown up on them.

"…and from what I can tell from the bomb fragments we were able to discover, they were using a new compound that Varrick has been experimenting with lately. Luckily he hasn't yet given it a ridiculous name…"

"Are you suggesting that Varrick is in on this?" Korra blurted.

"No," Asami smirked. "But if my company could get a hold of the breakdown of the compound, this Red Lotus could. The compound needs large amounts of water to synthesize. And not just any water," she pointed to one of the red circles on the map. "The absence of fluoride in the water is essential for the compound to remain stable enough to mix it with the other components."

"And Republic City has switched over to fluoridated apps," Mako said.

"Exactly," Asami nodded. "But there are a number of locations as you can see. And just because they made the bomb there doesn't mean that they are still there."

"It's our best bet," Korra sighed. "I'll call it in and get more guys on this search."

She would apologize to Asami when this was all over.

.

.

Korra and Mako rushed back to the station with Asami's map.

Chief Beifong looked skeptical, but admitted that this was the most concrete lead they had at the moment. She hastily drew the map into ten sectors. With approximately fifty locations to check, they needed to get a move on.

Korra studied the map again. Something about Zaheer's self-righteousness and his newly bold tactics told her that he wouldn't want to make his mini-headquarters in your average abandoned warehouse. For a supposedly covert group, Zaheer proved that he could be bold. He seemed almost religiously compelled to enact his vision for chaos in Republic City. The only location that stood out to Korra as out of the pattern was an abandoned temple on the east side.

"We'll take this sector," Korra pointed down at the map.

"Alright," Beifong began divvying up the rest of the sector assignments. "Get out of here before more people get killed."

With newfound purpose and urgency, Korra and Mako jogged back to his waiting car.

As soon as her door closed, Mako sped off into traffic, siren off.

He took a deep breath. "You didn't apologize to Asami."

"I'll do it later."

Mako groaned, "You always have to be so hotheaded you'd better be glad I…" A bit of color rose into his cheeks.

"Better be glad you…what?" Korra tried not to press or tease.

"Isn't it obvious?"

She smirked, "Nothing is ever obvious with you when it comes to something you wanna hide."

"I guess I've gotten that before," he chuckled lightly.

He paused, gripping the steering wheel tighter. She took the opportunity to study him in this quiet moment. His jaw was set tightly, his gaze set determinately on the road ahead. This was one of those moments she wished she could look in his eyes. Korra knew Mako better than she knew everything. She knew she wouldn't meet a swirl of emotions behind his amber eyes that she desperately wanted to unravel.

"Just please… _please_ ," his voice almost cracked with tension. "Don't do something stupid."

Korra could tell he was leaving much unsaid. They would both sense the underlying feeling of worry, of caring, of someone too close to lose. They stood on a precipice of sort. They were at the edge of this as much as they were toeing the line of the relationship that they once had. It was so achingly familiar it was difficult to pull herself away. Perhaps patience really did come to those who waited. For now they could speak in their sort of code, saying what they meant and felt without really saying it.

"I'll try," she flashed a grin, trying to make the situation a bit lighter.

As the Satomobile came to a halt at the next light, Mako finally turned to look her in the eye. "I'm serious."

Silence hung around them until a beep from the car behind indicated rudely they had missed the change of the light from red to green.

"I'm serious too," her voice dropped. "Only if you promise to do the same."

"It's you I'm worried about…you're the one who took off after a suspect in your pajamas undercover."

"And caught him too! You can't leave out the part where I took him down into the pavement wearing a nightgown!"

The two laughed. Korra knew that he knew it was likely their last light moment until Zaheer and his accomplices were behind bars or dead.

They decided to search the locations in their assigned sector from closest to farthest. The first two abandoned warehouses were just that, empty. Heavy chains and padlocks kept their doors closely shut. Even a quick peek inside through a broken or dirtied window yielded only quiet darkness from within, dust covering every visible surface.

The abandoned temple is their third location. Mako pulls his car into park a block away, cutting the engine far enough away that they could stay undiscovered if someone was indeed here.

"Follow my lead," Korra crouched down slightly as she moved quietly towards the crumbling stone walls and iron gates that once welcomed worshippers into a sanctuary.

Pressing her back against the mossy stone, Korra peered inside. An unmarked truck caught her eye first. She turned to Mako and lifted a single finger to her lips in a signal to stay quiet as the quiet mumbling a of conversation drifted out from the truck.

"…abandoning it?"

"Ghazan, with P'Li dead we need to get out of the city." A female voice said quickly to the long-haired man she now knew was Ghazan.

"Mayor Raiko was supposed to be our big target!" Ghazan tossed something in the back of the truck. "P'li was the only one with explosive expertise. If we don't strike now—"

"Ming-Hua!" The voice of Zaheer called out from farther away, naming the woman. "Be ready to go in five."

"He hasn't been 'ready to go' since we lost P'li," Ghazan grumbled.

Ming-Hua stepped into view. "It's hard for everyone."

"He's flown off the deep end. We both know it! And without P'li we only have the remaining ordinance she hooked up."

"The situation isn't good but—"

The sound of scraping against the gravel ground snapped Ghazan and Ming-Hua out of conversation. Korra peered out from around the corner to get a better look.

Zaheer reached into the wooden crate he had dragged over. He packed a few pieces of explosives into his jacket. "Our goal is to get out of the city so we can regroup with other Red Lotus followers. If all else fails, you two go ahead. I will do my best to finish what we started. I have…nothing else left."

Korra knew this had to be the moment to act. He pulled her Varrick 1911 out of her shoulder holster and took aim, the wall as cover. "Republic City PD! Hands up!"

"We're not going back to prison!" Ming-Hua pulled a pistol and fired off a few rounds.

Ghazan jumped into the driver's seat, starting the truck with a sputtering roar as Zaheer slid into the back.

"Get back to the car so we can follow them!" Mako grabbed Korra by the arm.

She fired off a few suppressive shots at the truck before scrambling after Mako, her head bowed as she tried to keep her profile low. The sure sound of Tommy Gun fire roared after them as .45 rounds pinged off the ground and surrounding buildings. Korra zigged and zagged until she ducked around the corner, following quickly after Mako. She skidded around the side of the car and wrenched the door open and slid inside quickly.

Mako paused for only a moment to slap the removable police light on top of his Satomobile before shifting out of parking and slamming on the gas. The attention of the light and siren would bring other cops into the chase. After the screech of burning rubber, the car gained traction and sped off behind the truck.

"Careful," Korra loaded a fresh clip into their Varrick 1911. She cranked the window down, leaning out slightly.

Luckily the Red Lotus' van wasn't exactly a vehicle built for speed. But what it lacked in handling and power was made up for in sheer mass, and an attitude that gave not a single fuck about damage to its hard metal shell. It weaved erratically in and out of traffic; scraping or bumping against cars to keep it's quick pace of escape uninterrupted.

Ming-Hua leaned out of the passenger side window and fired a volley of Tommy gun fire their way.

"Shit!" Mako swerved quickly sending them careening over a curb before landing back on the roadway.

Korra fired back, just a few rounds though. The last thing she wanted was a stray bullet injuring a bystander. At least two of the shells hit their mark; the low caliber rounds only dented the back of the truck but forced Ming-Hua to duck back inside.

The pursuit continued. Firing back and forth a few shots here or there. A few marked squad cars joined the chase, forming up behind Mako's car.

"I think he's headed for the Silk Road Bridge," Mako said as they pulled on to the main city boulevard.

"They're gonna regret it," Korra braced herself against the force of the quick turn. "Beifong probably had them put up checkpoints on all the bridges."

Sure enough, a police checkpoint appeared on the span, covering both the incoming and outgoing lanes of the Silk Road Bridge. Its great suspension towers loomed over Yue Bay. The truck took a hard turn and skidded to a near stop at the start of the bridge. Zaheer leapt out of the passenger side door as officers on foot began closing in.

"I am not going back to prison!" Ming-Hua yelled. She sprayed Tommy gun fire indiscriminately towards the officers.

Ghazan's pistol joined the fray, desperately covering Zaheer as he ran towards a nearby alley.

They seemed to know it was over. This was their last stand.

"Come on," Korra shoved the door open with her foot. "The blues can take care of them. We need to get after Zaheer."

"Right!" Mako followed her.

Zaheer was headed towards the Silk Road Market, an open-air and foot-traffic only area where artisans and farmers sold their wares and products. Going in on foot was the only way through. Korra took off running, watching Zaheer's quickly retreating form begin to blend in the crowd. This was their chance and she was determined to end it here. She risked a look over her shoulder back towards the truck with the rest of the Red Lotus as she sprinted. She watched as the form of Ming-Hua collapsed to the ground.

Killing criminals wasn't the best solution in her opinion. Justice was better served in a courtroom with a lengthy prison sentence. Seeing the worst criminals have to stand for their deeds was what made the whole system work. But beggars couldn't be choosers, and in this case she was begging for this to be resolved.

The market was crowded with people bustling in every direction. Luckily, Zaheer was of a larger build. She holstered her pistol and took of after him, weaving through the crowd as well as possible at the fastest speed. The looks of disgust from those she bumped into barely registered. She was focused, as if she had moved to a higher state of being. She worked to place her feet on the slightly uneven cobblestoned street, unlit lanterns hanging low overhead. Korra could only hope that Mako was still behind her.

Zaheer ducked around a corner into another quarter of the market. The narrow alleyway had fewer vendors. Trying to slow them, he knocked over a cabbage cart, spilling heads of the vegetable across the street before taking another turn that would lead him closer to the city center. Unfortunately it worked. Korra stumbled slightly; avoiding the cabbage while the vendor yelled something that sounded vaguely like "not again!"

The chase led them back out on the more main streets of Republic City. Zaheer stayed on the sidewalk, covering himself with passersby who were none the wiser that the rude man shoving through their walking pace was a danger. From their place on the avenue, City Hall began to loom, growing closer and closer. Zaheer of course didn't stop for traffic; he weaved in and out and even over Satomobiles that honked and swerved around him.

Fuck. _Fuck fuck fuck_. Korra knew if he got into the building it would be a disaster. He was a man on the warpath, wanting to cause wanton destruction before he met his end. She sped up, heart pounding. Her breath came in heavy gasps as she pushed herself harder and harder.

Zaheer emerged out of the crowd on to the plaza in front of City Hall.

"Freeze! Zaheer, it's over," Korra drew her pistol.

Mako appeared next to her, his revolver drawn. "We will use deadly force if you do not surrender."

The commotion drew the attention of uniformed officers that were stationed at City Hall. They drew their weapons, keeping the public away and circling Zaheer.

"You should be the one to freeze," Zaheer gave the two detectives a sinister grin. He slowly opened up his jacket. Underneath were explosives and a nest of wires, all attached to his chest. He pulled what looked like a detonator out of his pocket and pressed down the button. "If you shoot me, I'm afraid you'll have quite a mess on your hands."

"Now just hang on," Korra yelled and took a few paces backwards with Mako.

The uniformed officers backed up, realizing what was going on.

"I guess without P'li you still had some explosives left, huh?" Mako tried to keep his voice calm and measured.

"Oh, you have no idea," Zaheer stood still.

They had no idea how strong the explosion would be. He could take off running towards them at any second, making them merely collateral damage. Korra was sure he wasn't bluffing.

"I want to see Raiko," the final Red Lotus member spoke.

"You know that can't happen," Korra gritted her teeth.

"Well…then you'll have a problem on your hands."

Mako leaned close to her ear. "Maybe we should get everyone as far back as possible and just shoot him and hope for the best."

Her gut said that was wrong. Her gut said she could solve this. Even though a man like Zaheer likely couldn't be reasoned with, it didn't mean she shouldn't try. A younger version of her would have taken the shot. She would have acted first, thought second, taken care of the damage third. But now, she knew better. She had always been thoughtful; she wouldn't have made it as a detective otherwise. She had always been compassionate; she wouldn't have had the passion to protect Republic City if she hadn't. She had to try with Zaheer, if only to make the best outcome for the city.

"No, hang on," Korra held her hands up and crouched down, placing her pistol on the ground.

"What are you doing?" Mako hissed.

"Something only I can do."

"This is an awful idea. He's—"

"I have to try."

Mako must have recognized the look of determination in her voice. After all, he knew her so well. Even she knew there was a sense of finality to this all. So much could go wrong. His expression fell to one of resignation, before turning to one of resolve.

"Then Korra, I just need to tell you that I—"

It was obvious what he was going to say. And she was sure she felt the same. But saying so at the precipice of whatever she was about to walk off into seemed rushed.

"After," she cut him off. "You can tell me after."

Korra walked slowly forward into what was surely the blast zone, her hands up. Each step was purposeful and deliberate as to not spook Zaheer. The uncharacteristic silence of the city air crackled around her; they must have shut down the surrounding streets.

"Let's talk," she stopped about five feet away from him. She slowly dropped her hands to her sides.

"Well look who has the power now," Zaheer smirked. "Certainly not the cops."

"Is that what this is about?" She asked. "Power?"

"Chaos is an equalizing force," he was resolute. "The government in Republic City and its institutions need to be cleansed. You are part of the problem. It's not _you_ , rather the group you are a part of."

"You're delusional if you think you're part of the solution."

"Perhaps," he shrugged.

"Why don't you defuse this bomb? You don't need to be collateral damage today."

"And take away the only leverage I have?" Zaheer laughed. "I'll enter the void one way or another. Become empty and become the wind."

The void? Zaheer was beginning to rave (at least in her opinion). He wasn't going to change his mind. She would have to act.

"You're the one who is misguided here," his voice increased in volume. "To be willing to give up so much for a corrupt institution in a corrupt city."

"Then you really don't know me at all," Korra readied herself and took a deep breath. "Because if you don't think I'd give _all of me_ for this city, then you're damn wrong."

As fast as she could, Korra leapt towards Zaheer. Some people said events like this went in slow motion; it didn't for her.

Her hand fisted in the bundle of wires on the explosive vest and yanked.

.

.

 **Author Note:** I waited a long time to write those last few lines. Two chapters to go I believe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I waited a long time to write those last few lines. Two chapters to go I believe.


	13. There Is No Greater Love

 

**Chapter 13 – "There Is No Greater Love"**

" _There is no greater love_  
Than what I feel for you  
No sweeter song, no heart so true"

.

.

Mako had a bad feeling about this. He had a _very bad_ feeling about this. In fact, if he had to objectively rate how badly he felt about Korra being Korra and making a gusty and risky choice, this moment would probably top his mental chart.

"No, hang on," Korra held her hands up and crouched down, placing her pistol on the ground.

"What are you doing?" Mako hissed.

"Something only I can do."

"This is an awful idea. He's—"

"I have to try."

He knew her too well. There was no talking her out of whatever idea had lodged itself deeply in her brain. Korra was determined and set, her resolve was set in stone. Sometimes she was just so difficult! She could flow and move through periods of change sometimes like water, allowing her to react in situation that it was impossible to be proactive. She had the passion of an intense blaze that denied containment or extinguishing, heavy winds fanning the flames. Korra was a force of nature.

But even with all her stunts in the past, something felt very different here. He felt as if time were slipping through his fingers like grains of sand, flowing quickly away and mixing, the whole more visible than the grains themselves. The weight of what he knew but had yet to verbalize weighed on his chest like a boulder. He loved her. He loved her in the present and had never stopped. Last minute declarations of love were cliché; Mako felt like every radio drama these days had one in the closing episodes. But perhaps it was so cliché because it was true. It was better to speak than to regret not speaking.

"Then Korra, I just need to tell you that I—"

"After," she cut him off. "You can tell me after."

Mako gritted his teeth as she walked slowly away. Spirits, he hoped that she knew what he wanted to say but he could only hope. If his actions did indeed speak louder than his words, she knew, she had to know. He unquestionably would follow her into battle, investigations, and even her seemingly never-ending quest to find "the best" dive bar in Republic City. Korra had to know, right? Mako was convinced, yet a gnawing voice deep inside his chest repeated what he already knew; he had yet to truly say it.

He watched as Korra took step after step towards Zaheer, her hands raised in the air. Each foot closer was agonizing for him to watch. The square was silent, only the sound of Korra's boots scuffing along the uneven cobblestone street could be heard as everyone, Mako included, held their breaths.

"Let's talk," she stopped about five feet away from him. She slowly dropped her hands to her sides.

"Well look who has the power now," Zaheer smirked. "Certainly, not the cops."

"Is that what this is about?" She asked. "Power?"

"Chaos is an equalizing force," he was resolute. "The government in Republic City and its institutions need to be cleansed. You are part of the problem. It's not _you_ , rather the group you are a part of."

"You're delusional if you think you're part of the solution."

"Perhaps," he shrugged.

"Why don't you defuse this bomb? You don't need to be collateral damage today."

"And take away the only leverage I have?" Zaheer laughed. "I'll enter the void one way or another. Become empty and become the wind."

Zaheer's crazy was beginning to show. The void? The man who had once been somewhat of a keen criminal mind was unraveling. Mako had seen this sort of thing before. As capture and failure draws closer and closer, nipping at their heels, it was all too common to see even the coolest under pressure criminals to have their composure slip.

"You're the one who is misguided here," his voice increased in volume. "To be willing to give up so much for a corrupt institution in a corrupt city." His voice echoed across the plaza.

"Then you really don't know me at all," Korra shot back. Because if you don't think I'd give _all of me_ for this city, then you're damn wrong."

Mako watched as Korra dug in, her knees bending slightly. Spirits, she was going to tackle him. She was going for the vest!

"Damnit, Korra!" Mako breathed.

It all happened in slow-motion. Korra leapt towards him, arm outstretched as she reached for the vest laden with wires.

There wasn't time to think, only react. He took off sprinting towards them. He was the only one who moved. This was his only chance.

He's too far away. He's not going to make it. She's seconds away from him and he's dozens more. This can't be it. This can't be the end, he must go faster. As her hand grips a fistful of wires he's still feet away. Faster. He _must_ go faster. He reaches out with his long arms (he's never been so thankful) and reaches for her shoulders. He squeezes his eyes shut as his hands reach her waist and he, for the first time since his parent's death, prays. He prays this is enough. He prays this is not the end.

Spirits, don't let it be the end.

.

.

Korra's fingers clasped around a bundle of wires before yanking as hard as she could. It's a long shot she knew, but she had trust that the vest will just cease to operate instead of blow up in her face, literally. This wasn't a radio drama where defusing a bomb was cutting the red wire or the blue wire. But then again, it wasn't as simple as deciding to brute-force tear the thing in half. Her reflexes force her eyes shut as she waits.

Two hands grabbed her from behind, tossing her to the pavement. Her cheek painfully hit the ground first as she feels the weight of the person throw their weight on top of her. Fuck, that was going to leave a hell of a bruise; she felt as if she had been suplexed by a wannabe wrestler.

The air held silent. No boom. No explosion. Not even a pitiful sizzle of disconnected wiring.

Korra elbowed the person on top of her, pushing their weight from her so she would it up. It was Mako. That idiot had run in to try to save her!

"Zaheer, you're under arrest!" The commanding voice of Saikhan broke the silence.

A cadre of officers surrounded Zaheer, tackling him to the ground and pinning his hands behind his back before quickly cuffing him. The beginning of the Republic City script of rights was recited by one of the officers as they hauled him none too kindly to his feet.

Korra turned from her hands and knees until she sat on the ground facing Mako. He seemed to be in the same shock as her, his mouth slightly agape as he watched everything unfold. But her awe quickly shook away.

"You idiot!" She slugged him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" Mako groaned in pain.

"That was for my face you useless moron!" She pointed to the scrape on her cheek that had started to ooze blood, stray pieces of small gravel pressed into her skin.

"I was trying to save you!" His voice rose to match hers.

"You could have been killed!"

"I don't care!"

It happened faster than she could ready herself. Mako grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her into a searing kiss. Spirits, it had been oh so long since she had felt his lips against hers. She wanted to melt and relax into this comforting oblivion.

It ended quickly as Lin hauled Mako to his feet by the jacket. The police chief nudged Korra with her boot, motioning for her to get up.

"Come on," Lin gave a smirk. Korra decided to count it as a smile since those were rare from the graying senior officer. "You're already going to be on the front page of the good papers. Don't make it the tabloids too."

The trio walked over to the paddy wagon. Zaheer was handcuffed in the back, his posture hunched forward, demoralized.

"Let's finish this case off," Lin slammed the doors shut and banged on the back of the vehicle, signaling it take off towards central station.

The trip to the station passed in a blur. Korra was only beginning to process it all. If catching the Red Killer was already a career-maker, then what was this? She had never felt so listless regarding her career. Being a cop was so ingrained into who she was, it was impossible to tell where Korra ended and Officer Korra began. For the longest time, she believed it was one of the things that made her so good at what she did. Maybe that wasn't right. On paper, she made an awful cop anyway. A loose-cannon intent to break every department rule she possibly could while getting her guy. Perhaps she needed time, maybe Mako's takedown had rattled her brain more than she thought.

"I heard what you did."

Korra turned, finding Kuvira. The attorney's eyes followed Zaheer as an officer dragged him into an interrogation room.

"Yeah…" Korra sighed, still semi-deep in thought.

"I'm not quite sure why you did it, if I am to be honest."

"I…" Korra hadn't stopped to think of a why.

Kuvira was right. She could have delivered a single bullet from her Varrick 1911 into the vest. It would have surely exploded, and the crowd could have been pulled even further back so that even shrapnel would have done minimal damage. But she wanted Zaheer alive. She wanted him to stand trial and get what was coming. Korra couldn't help but feel a bit bad for him. Even with all the death, she wanted this to all be finished so everyone could come to terms, perpetrator and victim alike.

"I…guess I'd like to believe that people should get a second chance," Korra scratched the back of her neck. "Death is a bit unfair and easy in that way."

Kuvira took a few moments before speaking again. "Well, rest assured that my office and I will do everything we can to build a robust case. Your testimony will be highly valuable."

"Of course."

"I look forward to continuing to work with you. Thank you, Officer Korra." Kuvira offered a nod before walking towards Zaheer's interrogation room.

"That woman is steely," Mako muttered as he approached from behind with Lin.

"I know," Lin watched the woman with a discerning gaze. "I like her." She coughed, as if clearing her throat of the compliment. "I was just speaking to Officer Mako, I thought you should hear this too."

"Hear what?" Mako straightened up.

"Mako, I'm offering a promotion to captain. I'd like you to run the Homicide Department."

"I..I…" Mako sputtered.

Korra could only smile. Everyone knew Mako would run the whole force someday. He was the obvious choice. Responsible, professional, effective, and a goddamn rule-follower too.

"You're gonna say yes, right? City boy?" Korra laughed as he still stood frozen, looking as if he needed someone to pick his jaw off of the floor.

"Y-yes of course. Yes," he puffed his chest out ever so slightly.

Lin turned to Korra. "We need to have a discussion about your future too."

"You're right," she took a deep breath.

Korra was good at taking leaps of faith. That was something she had certainly proved today. Following her gut, even when her brain told her "no" had not yet failed her. In another life she certainly was able to fly, because today she felt as if she was standing at the end of a precipice stepping out into thin air while her heart refused to beat faster, so sure in her decision.

"I'd like to put in for my formal resignation."

"What?" Lin and Mako said in unison.

"Why?" The look on Mako's face was one of betrayal. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking…I need to find myself and I don't know how long it'll take."

"No need for delay if you're sure," Lin frowned. "I'll get the paperwork in. You'll still receive the pension you earned."

"Don't do it yet," Mako grabbed Korra's arm. "You shouldn't make this decision on an empty stomach. Lunch first."

.

.

"I thought we were getting lunch?" Korra leaned closer to Mako on her barstool so he could light the cigarette between her lips.

"I figured we both deserved a drink," he flagged down the bartender. "What are you having?"

"Gin and tonic," Korra took a long drag off the cigarette feeling her nerves finally calm.

"Same," Mako nodded to the bartender.

They sat in silence for some while after the drinks came. Korra alternated dabbing her cigarette absentmindedly in the ash tray and small sips of the drink. She felt at ease, truly at ease. The case was done, and the evidence would shape up to be conclusive. She was taking her first steps to a more or less clean slate. The weight of the world seemed to shrug off of her shoulders, at least for now.

"Are you sure?" Mako rubbed his hand on her knee soothingly.

"Yeah," she smiled softly. "I really am sure."

"What are you going to do then?"

"Well…" Korra honestly hadn't thought of that. But now was a period of blissful freefall; she had time. "I haven't been home in years. I'll probably do that, then figure thing out." Her smile widened. "There's a lot to learn out there. Who knows? Maybe someday I'll come back."

"You know I'll have your back no matter what, right?"

"Yeah…I've known all along." She placed her hand on his. "It's been pretty obvious."

"As obvious as it was that you didn't kiss me back?"

"Hey!" Korra shoved his hand from her leg. "We were kind of in the middle of something then!"

Mako tipped his head back in delightful laughter.

"But I guess I owe you…" Korra picked up her drink, finishing it in a few quick gulps. "Whoops…" she said aloud before tipping the remainder of Mako's drink into his lap.

"Hey!"

"Oh no!" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "How clumsy of me! I know you live close to here. How about we head back to your place so you can get out of those."

"Seriously?" Mako grabbed a towel from the other side of the bar. He sopped as much of the liquid up as he good. "You're damn lucky this isn't going to stain."

"You're more worried about stains than how we can get back to your place?"

"Streetcar. Three stops. Race you there." Mako tossed the towel on the bar and took off.

"Oh, it's on," Korra laughed. She slapped a few bills on the bar and took off after him. He was going to pay when she caught him. Oh boy, was he going to pay.

.

.

 **Author Note:** Sorry for the time and the fade to black. I'm here to make peace with this fic. One short epilogue to go and we can say goodbye to this monster fic together.


	14. Epilogue: September Of My Years

**Rating:** M

 **Chapter Word Count:** ~1100

 **Summary:** Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three year's worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to _Rhapsody in Red_ and _Mystery on the Republic City Express_ ] Noir AU

 **Author Note:** I'm not sure how many of my original readers are still with me, but I would like to say thank you. I will never forget my love for the Korra fandom (even in the bad days) and all the wonderful collaborations I did and the wonderful feedback I have received for my writing. There are still works in this fandom I have done that I look back on most fondly, and I hope that I can reach that level and perhaps beyond as I go on. This three-work _Rhapsody in Red_ series is something I am very proud of. Thank you all so much, and without further ado, this last chapter in _Breaking Point in Blue_ , the _Rhapsody in Red_ series, and the official end to my foray into Legend of Korra fanfiction.

.

**Chapter 14 – "September Of My Years"**

" _One day you turn around and it's summer_  
Next day you turn around and it's fall  
And the springs and the winters of a lifetime  
Whatever happened to them all?"

.

.

THREE YEARS LATER

"How was your day, sweetie?" Mako kissed Korra on the cheek as he slid on to the barstool next to her. "I walked by your plaque again in the station in the Vice Department."

"Did you give it a kiss?" Korra smirked, pushing a bowl of bar peanuts towards him.

He just raised his eyebrows in response and turned to the bartender. "I'll take a scotch, neat."

"And I'll take a light," Korra held out a cigarette towards him.

Mako fished in his jacket for his trusty lighter. "One of these days you're going to get desperate and buy one yourself."

"Matches will do when you're not around," she held the cigarette into the flame. "Gives me more reason not to be away from you too often. But speaking of you…" she playfully nudged him. "I heard you're taking Kai under your wing."

"Who tells you this stuff?"

"I have sources."

And often, her sources were better than his. Spirits did it bother him when her backchannels were better, faster, and more accurate than his official feeds. And boy, did she still love to bother him.

"Yes, I will," he took a sip of his drink. "He's on his way to be a Junior Officer with his graduation. A bit of guidance from me will do him good. It's nice to have more than just your senior partner looking out for you, you remember how that is."

"Yeah I do…but Spirits did you hate Kai when you first met."

"I'm happy that Jinora has an honest man to date."

"Speaking of which," Korra reached into her coat only to come up empty handed. "If I gave you something to give to Jinora to expedite, you'd do that for me, right?"

Mako sighed, "Sure. At home. Also at home, Bolin sent us a wedding invite. He and Opal set a date."

"Wonderful, you're going to be a great best man. But you'd better let me organize the bachelor party."

"Deal," he smiled. "But don't think you're getting off so easy not telling me about your day."

"Finneee," Korra mock whined. "I took a new case."

"What is the hottest PI in town, and I don't mean by just looks, up to now?"

Yes, PI. Korra, Private Investigator. After a year off, going back to the force just didn't feel right, but neither did wasting her experience. She had a taste for thrill and for mystery in Republic City that wasn't going away anytime soon. Her PI license was easy to acquire, and before she knew it, she had more requests for her services than she could handle. She had to hire a secretary and get a separate phone line after a full-day after Mako complained that their home phone was ringing off the hook at all hours of the day.

"Doing some work for Asami again," Korra shrugged.

Somehow, Sato designs were leaking to other competing manufacturers. Even Varrick had produced a few models that were far too close to designs that Sato Industries intended on producing. Nothing concrete enough to bring to the police, so Korra was on the case.

"Not something we can discuss here," she took a sip of her drink. "But do you want to know a secret?

Mako raised his eyebrows, "Do I?"

She leaned in close, her lips brushing against the shell of his ear. "Saikhan is retiring. Lin is going to name you Vice Chief of the whole department within a few weeks."

"Seriously, how do you know these things before I do!"

Korra laughed, feeling light. She pulled him in for a chaste kiss, remembering that they were at a bar for all to see. Things were perfect, in a way. Perfection was impossible. There would always be criminals to catch, arguments to be had, and problems to solve, but it was the imperfection that made her life interesting and worth living.

"Do you know what would make this night perfect?" Korra watched as a man approached the bar behind Mako, trying to edge in to order.

"What?"

"Catching my man."

"Who?"

"The guy behind you."

Without warning, Korra shoved Mako hard. He slid off the barstool, knocking the man behind him off his feed. Both men fell to the ground, sitting in shock for only the briefest of moments before scrambling to their feet.

Mako swung around to look at the man he had knocked down. Irate, the man rolled up his sleeves. He threw a sloppy right hook in Mako's direction.

Easily telegraphed, Mako ducked. "You're crazy," he shot over his shoulder at Korra before jumping back to avoid a slow uppercut.

"But you love me for it!" Korra grinned.

Yes, yes he did.

.

.

" _As a man who has always had the wand'ring ways_

_Now I'm reaching back for yesterdays_

_'Til a long-forgotten love appears_

_And I find that I'm sighing softly as I near_

_September, the warm September of my years_

_As I man who has never paused at wishing wells_

_Now I'm watching children's carousels_

_And their laughter's music to my ears_

_And I find that I'm smiling gently as I near_

_September, the warm September of my years_

_The golden warm September of my years"_

.

.

 **Author Note:** Thank you all again. I hope to hear from you in the comments/reviews. Goodbye Korra.


End file.
